


Flowers in Blood

by kirichuuus



Series: Cycle [1]
Category: The Night Manager (TV), Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Accidents, Alcohol, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blow Jobs, Break Up, Breeding, Cock Warming, Couch Sex, Creampie, Cunnilingus, Daddy Dom Jonathan Pine, Daddy Kink, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Dialogue Heavy, Discussion of Abortion, Dreams and Nightmares, Dreams vs. Reality, Dry Humping, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Exhibitionism, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, False Identity, Flashbacks, Forced Marriage, Friends to Lovers, Gangs, Grinding, Guns, Illegal Activities, Implied/Referenced Abortion, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Masturbation, Mental Health Issues, Miscarriage, Murder Mystery, Naked Cuddling, Naked Female Clothed Male, Older Man/Younger Woman, Oral Sex, Organized Crime, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Paranormal, Penis In Vagina Sex, Possessive Jonathan Pine, Possessive Sex, Post-Break Up, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pregnancy Kink, Pregnancy Scares, Prostitution, Protective Jonathan Pine, References to Drugs, Richard Roper makes a return, Riding, Romance, Rough Sex, Sex, Slow Burn, Smoking, Smut, Soft Jonathan Pine, Some Humor, Spanking, Spies, Teasing, The Night Manager - Freeform, The Night Manager post 2016, Unplanned Pregnancy, Unsafe Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, World Travel, angela burr is best mom, spies in love, that one blue suit tom wore in night manager does things to me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:40:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 28
Words: 109,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27563941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirichuuus/pseuds/kirichuuus
Summary: Angela Burr takes on a case that had been cold since the 70’s as there is a sudden spark in activity relevant to the case. She calls a friend from across the pond and gets a hold of Katie O'Connor, a 24 soon to be 25 year old American woman for the job. The case is assigned to Katie and Jonathan for them to solve and bring down the leader of an unnamed group that was involved in the crimes back then. Unfortunately for Jonathan, Katie is connected to a friend of his time while in Iraq that did not end well.
Relationships: Jonathan Pine & Original Female Character(s), Jonathan Pine/Original Female Character(s), Jonathan Pine/Reader, Jonathan Pine/You
Series: Cycle [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2180910
Comments: 39
Kudos: 24





	1. Poppy

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This is a bit something different from my Loki works, so I hope that you will enjoy it none the less. I've been watching The Night Manager and aghhhhh it's SO good. 
> 
> Anyways, this does take place 2 years after 2016 so roughly 2018 going into 2019. 
> 
> Please leave a comment and give me suggestions and what not! I would love to hear back from you!!

A loud rapping at the door of Angela Burr’s special agency causes the Director to jump from her seat. “For fuck sake, can’t a mum have one minute of peace to ‘erself?” Angela huffed, getting up quickly and noticing Rob wasn’t at all around which irked the tired woman further. “Better have a good excuse for why he isn’t here.” She muttered under her breath before opening the door being met with a shorter, pale skinned woman. Angela’s brows knit together in confusion as she studied the young woman, “Green eyes, short brown hair, looks 157 centimeters in height-” She stopped as she noticed the woman give her an odd look. “What? I’m just trying to get a better look at ya. I dunno if you are who we sent for, you’re so short! Wait, wait. I got it, you’re American is that it? Your unit of measurements are-” She sighed and smacked her own forehead as her thoughts finally caught up to her. “Right! Dear, I am so terribly sorry. Come in, come in. You are exactly who we called for over from across the pond. I swear I must still have a pregnancy brain even after three bloody years. Katelyn O’Connor is it?” She waved her hand over to a seat.

The American brunette woman grimaced at her full name and nodded, “I uh, sorry, I prefer Katie.” She cleared her throat and held her hand out, shaking Angela’s hand.

“No, no! That was my mistake, dear. Oh for fuck sake Rob! It’s about damn time you got in here!! What’s your excuse for your lack of being here?” Her large brown eyes watched as her assistant, Rob Singhal walked in.

The Indian man froze and looked from Angela to Katie in confusion then down at the tray of coffees he held. “Shite! Ang, you coulda said we were gonna have company!! Apologies, miss. Next time I’ll get you tea or coffee.” He practically slammed the hot beverage in front of Angela and sighed with great irritation.

Katie waved her hand as a gesture of thanks and then looked down into her lap as she fiddled with her fingers. 

Angela looked up at Rob, raising her brows at his attitude. “There’s extra cream in it?” 

The assistant’s hands dropped to his sides and he let out a groan, “Not even a thank you or are you ok?! I stood in line for twenty god damn minutes for your bitter rubbish and some prick hit my new chaps with his fucking bicycle!” He pointed to his pants aggressively, a large stain apparent on the light khakis.

Angela rolled her eyes, taking a test sip and nodding “Alright good, there’s cream. Last time the bastards didn’t. Sorry about your pants, sweetheart but you wasted twenty minutes of preparation for our new agent!” She turned to the younger woman seated in front of her.

Katie looked up and gave a warm smile, smoothing her pencil skirt out. “It’s alright Mrs. Burr-”, 

“Angela, please. I had my first and last kid three years ago, I already feel old as is when I get the “Mrs.” added. Now, back to business.” Angela shuffled through documents and licked her finger to sift through properly.

This was Katie’s first time out of America and she would definitely be lying if she said she hadn’t gotten a major culture shock. London was somewhat similar to New York in a manner of ways; for one thing, the people were always very loud and blunt. While London did feel more tame, it still had that familiar city smell and livelihood to it. This was certainly a new experience for a girl from a small village in Michigan, USA.

“Sorry ‘bout that, Miss O’Connor. By the way, you got any relatives over in Ireland? Your last name is extremely Irish- Oh there I go again, getting off track. Sorry it’s nearly getting time for me to be checking in on the babysitter to see how my little one is doing.” Angela cleared her throat and handed Katie the files on a peculiar case that had gone cold.

Katie frowned as she skimmed over the pages and gathered information on ten very high scale murders of wealthy families. Each page had a familiar theme of illegal trade, fraud, weapons, drugs, and prostitution. She noticed that there was a mysterious yet oddly recognizable symbol carved into the skin of the inner forearm of the husbands. Katie placed the photo evidence down and tapped on the sigils, “I’ve seen this before in my lessons. Mrs- Angela, why are you showing me such an old case? No one has been able to figure anything out about these crimes since the Seventies…” She leaned back and raised a brow.

The older woman nodded and grabbed a stack of papers, plopping them in front of the young American. “Not until now.” 

As Katie skimmed over the pages, she noticed that the activity of this particular group had risen up again and even had a public support group. The sigil was much more clear now and shaped into something more recent. It was of a Poppy flower and now that Katie thought about it, she remembered that a single poppy flower was always left behind at the crime scene. A chill ran down her spine as awful memories of her ex boyfriend Travis resurfaced. She knew there was no correlation between the two, but Travis always seemed to love giving her that type of flower and he even had a tattoo on his neck of one. To make matters worse, during her older brother Cameron’s funeral, there were poppies in some of the bouquets before he was laid to rest. It was a closed casket ceremony as he had died courageously while serving. 

_-flash-_

_“TRAVIS STOP!! GET AWAY FROM ME!” Katie screamed, kicking her legs as hard as she could to get the man off of her. Exhaustion was coming over the 20 year old girl as she had been struggling for an hour to get away from her abuser._

_-flash-_

_A gag was shoved into Katie’s mouth with her hands and legs bound. The sounds of a blade ripping her clothes off filled the room along with the sound of her whimpers. “No one is ever gonna want you, baby girl. Not after I’m done with you. There’s no one for you to turn to, not even your dead big brother.”_

“Katie?” 

The green eyed woman gasped, coming out of her trance and quickly wiping a stray tear away from her cheek. “I-I’m ok, Angela. I just… I really hate poppies.” She smiled sadly, handing the paper back to her boss and taking a deep breath.

“I can tell… I know we’ve just met, but if you need to talk about it you can. I see that you’ve some past trouble of sorts, I do apologize for requiring your services specifically, but I don’t think anyone else here can speak Japanese, Korean or” Angela looked down at her papers and scratched her head “Russian. Dear god and you’re only twenty four.” She whistled and nodded at the woman, impressed by her choice of studying harder languages.

Thankful that the woman chose to not press further into her trauma, Katie sniffled and smiled at Angela. “I’m still learning Russian, but I think I can manage making my way through.” She nodded and sighed, that memory now seared into her brain after she had tried to bury it for good 5 years ago.

“Well good because you’re going to be taking a little trip to Russia and eventually, Japan.” Angela noticed the sudden excitement in the young woman’s eyes and chuckled a little “Don’t get too excited, this is not any vacation. I understand that you are a rookie and this being your first true traveling experience, but don’t get cocky.” The chair she sat in scraped across the floor and she hoisted her purse onto her shoulder. “We will be discussing travel arrangements and the like tomorrow, but I’d like you to meet your partner today first. You two will be spending quite a bit of time together so it’s better to get used to each other now. Come along.” Angela hustled over to the door, checking her watch and noticing the time. She looked back up and eyed Rob, “Thank you for the coffee and sorry about your trousers. Have a nice night, sweetheart.” She waved with Katie following shortly behind, also waving goodbye to the assistant. 

“Oh for the love of-” Angela huffed, scrambling to get her umbrella out of her purse and cursing under her breath as rain poured down on the two. “No one ever likes the rain here, it’s bloody awful.” She offered Katie to get under it. The green eyed woman obliged and rubbed her arms, the air hitting her with a bite. “I think I am used to it at least to some degree considering I grew up in Michigan. The weather there never knows what it wants to be!” Katie grimaced, continuing to rub her arms. Clearly, she had underestimated her choice in attire and was now suffering from it. She heard Angela give a little chortle and shake her head as they continued their journey to an apartment complex. The two women idly chatted on their walk to this strange building about Katie’s life as Angela wanted to get to know her better and genuinely seemed interested in her well being. “I cannot stand the thought of living in a country with a deranged clown for a leader. I mean, the mission at hand is not a pleasant one but at least you’re not having to deal with his bullshit. I reckon he’s more dangerous than this group we’re about to send you and Mr. Pine into.” The Director noticed her agent flinch and stumble for a moment. She placed a tender hand on her arm and stopped their walk, “Is something the matter dear?” Her voice softened.

Katie nodded and sighed through her nose, “I wasn’t expecting to work with someone else let alone a man. I have issues with men, personal reasons I’d rather not get into.” She smiled wryly and felt the urge to cry build in her throat.

“Oh. I’m sorry. Well, remember what I told you earlier, if you need to talk about it I will be more than happy to listen. Men are garbage.” She laughed, trying to lighten the mood and wrapping a comforting arm around the young woman’s shoulders. “However, Mr. Pine is not a part of the garbage I am referring to. I am hopeful that you will be comfortable around him. He is my pride and joy… And my kid too. Honestly, they’re both my kids even if one of them is 38 years old.” 

Katie hoped that Angela was right and wanted to trust the woman. Those two years she had spent with Travis practically ruined her and how she viewed men. Hopefully, this Mr. Pine would help her heal and reshape her opinion. 

Both women sighed as glorious heat hit their numb faces upon entering the building. “Your flat is going to be on the floor below Mr. Pine.” Angela looked at her watch and smiled with some hope, “I would perhaps suggest maybe grabbing a pint together seeing as it’s supper time. If you’re comfortable enough.” She added quickly, grabbing Katie’s arm as she noticed the slight shift of her body.

Katie nodded and smiled back, shuddering the last remnants of the cold from outside. “I’m not a big drinker, but that does sound nice. I’d like to see a few of the older pubs before we go. I’ve always wanted to see the Tower of London and “haunted” locations.” She smiled more and chuckled at Angela’s unimpressed face.

“Really? Oh you’re one of those spooky chasers or whatever they’re called. Well, I can assure you that London has plenty of that but for now we need to focus on the task at hand.” Angela pressed a button up to the 14th floor and walked in, holding the elevator door for Katie.

The ride up had the American woman’s stomach in knots as each floor made a ding noise each time they advanced a level. “Uh, you said that Mr. Pine is 38 years old? H-How long has he been working for you?” Katie swallowed, trying to calm her nerves. “You know who Roper is? Richard Roper?” She raised her eyebrows at the girl.

“I’ve heard about him and of his dealings, but other than that not much else.” Katie replied, shrugging.

"Well Pine is the one who took him down. That case gave me the nerves it did. I'm just glad Pine got out and decided to stay with us instead of going back to being a night manager at hotels. Charming and handsome fellow he is. He even managed to snag Roper's girl for a while but it didn't last too long. Enough about him now, you're about to find out more on him soon." The elevator made the noise signaling they had reached their destination.

Katie once again had to calm herself and shake any nerves off. She had to tell herself that things were going to be ok and that she had to act professional. 

The sound of their footsteps padding along the wooden floor mingled in with the raindrops hitting the window at the end of the hall. “Here we are-” Angela said under her breath and knocked on the door, “Oi! Pine, you in there?” She waited for a moment before knocking on the door again before finally hearing footsteps. Several latches were undone before the man known as “Pine” finally opened the door.

Katie’s heart stopped for a moment as this man was absolutely drop dead gorgeous. Her green eyes were wide as she took his appearance in from his lithe form, piercing blue eyes, dark blonde hair, chiseled jawline, and prominent forehead. Angela was right when she said he was handsome, but handsome was not a strong enough word for him.

“Angela? Is there something wrong?” His deep voice caused chills to run through Katie’s body.

Dear lord, not only was he stunning but his voice was enough to make a woman’s panties vanish.

“No, no. Not at all. I’ve just come to introduce you to your partner for the mission ahead.” Angela stepped back, holding her arm out and slightly nudging Katie forward.

Jonathan’s attention turned to the shorter woman in front of him and his expression softened a little. Shyly, Katie extended her hand out and gave a small smile “I’m Katie O’Connor uh, I have an extremely Irish name. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Pine.” She blushed and chuckled nervously at her dumb joke. Katie felt like she was in high school all over again with how awkward she felt. The American woman flinched a little as Jonathan took her hand to shake it, her eyes quickly darting away before looking back at him. This man’s hand was incredibly warm and oddly comforting, which made Katie feel a little bad that she flinched.

Pine noticed her flinch, but decided against questioning her on it as it was probably just a nervous tick. He flashed a smile and returned the chuckle at her dumb joke. “The pleasure is mine and yes it is extremely Irish.” He released her hand before turning to Angela, waiting for anything else for her to tell them so he could get back to packing. 

“Now that we are all settled with introductions, I will be taking Katie to show her to the flat and then making my way to pick up my little one. I expect the both of you to be at my office at 6 AM sharp with your belongings packed and ready to go. I’m just praying for the love of anything living that the train to Moscow isn’t stalled. I’ll see you tomorrow, Pine. Come on then love! Let’s get you tucked in.” Angela turned, waving to Katie.

The short brunette gave a smile to Jonathan and waved shyly before hastily heading back to Angela.

The man watched as the two women walked down to the elevator and was puzzled by his boss’s choice in a partner. It wasn’t that he had anything against her pick, he was more than happy to have an attractive young lady on his team. He had to wonder why Katelyn O’Connor of all people though. Pine was very much aware of who this girl was and he slid back inside of his flat, closing the door and covering his face. Flashbacks of his time serving in Iraq surge forth and the screams of his squad echoed in his brain. Tears stung his eyes as guilt crawled up into his throat from the memory of leaving Katie’s older brother behind, as he begged for help while a bomb strapped to his chest ticked away. Pine would forever blame himself for his friend’s death and wished that he had been the one to die instead of Cameron. 

Once Angela had bid her farewells after showing Katie to her new home, the young woman began to set up. She had not the faintest idea that she would be sharing a flat building with her partner let alone have it be someone intimidatingly handsome. Yet, there was something odd about Jonathan Pine that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. “Hey Cam.” She sighed, pulling a picture of her late brother out, placing it at her bedside. “I’m here in London, can you believe it? I’m out of that house and traveling the world!” She sat on her bed and smiled to the frame. “I know you wouldn’t be too happy with me sort of following you in your footsteps, but I wanted to be just like you. Mom and Dad were really hesitant at first at letting me go but I convinced them this is a chance for me to explore the world.” She picked the picture up and licked her finger, smudging some dirt from the glass off. Katie smiled sadly as she set the picture down and felt her chest and throat warm up from the oncoming tears. “I wish you were still here to see how far I’ve come. Shit, I-I even managed to escape Travis, even if you were long gone before him. I know you still watch over me and I know you would have probably been locked up if you got a hold of him.” She chuckled through the beginning of a sob before sniffling and wiping her eyes. “I gotta get going now. I’m going to Moscow tomorrow for the beginning of my mission. I’m pretty much all set but, my boss Angela told me I should probably try to get to know my partner… H-He seems nice.” Her hands clenched together as fear now made its course through her small frame. “I don’t think h-he’ll hurt me. He’s not Travis or those nasty old men from my retail days. No he’s not.” Katie gasped suddenly, noticing that her anxiety was getting the better of her and causing her to hold her breath. She shook her head and let out a quiet sob, sitting on the bed completely before pulling her knees in on herself. Who was she kidding? She was absolutely terrified to be alone with a man taller and stronger than her. Ever since she had left her abuser, not once did Katie even consider to look for another chance at romance. This only made her fear of men worse and she even lost a few friends because of how terrified she was to go out. It was only a year ago in 2018 that she finally decided to grow a backbone and shake off whatever fear she had. She would not let the past repeat itself and uncurled herself, smacking her face with her hands and taking a deep breath in. “You’re gonna be fine little fox.” She muttered to herself, using the endearing term her brother used to call her. Katie hopped off the bed and took one last look at herself in the mirror, grimacing at her puffy eyes. She would wait before going up to ask Pine if he wanted to grab something to eat. 

After about 15 minutes later, Katie calmed down and fished her worry stone from her suitcase. Naturally, it was a Petoskey stone from a camping trip back home. She shoved it into her pocket before grabbing her jacket as she had underestimated London’s weather earlier. “Keys, phone, wallet, knife, spray, money, lock pick, ok I think I’m good.” She huffed, looking down at her attire she changed into as the skirt from earlier had proven to be a poor choice. Instead, she opted for a large hoodie, skinny jeans, sneakers, socks, jacket, and a tee shirt under her hoodie. She was cozy and felt that this was appropriate for the weather. Locking her door, she headed to the elevator and reached Pine’s floor. She felt less anxious than the first time she had walked down with Angela. Nervously, she raised her hand as she arrived at Pine’s flat and knocked on the wood door. “Uh, Pine?” her voice cracked and she shoved her hands into her pockets.

Once again, several locks were unlatched before the door opened with Jonathan looking surprised to see her. “Oh, hey! Er, Katie yeah?” He gave a fake smile, trying to not think about her brother and his guilt over his death.

“Y-Yeah! Uh you don’t have to but uh, Angela suggested that maybe uh… We go grab a pint? Maybe get to know each other a little before we buckle down? I-If not that’s totally cool, I get it.” The brunette held her hands up and gave an awkward grin. She low key hoped he would say no and save her the trouble of being a nervous wreck. 

“Yeah, that’s a good idea actually.” He replied. 

“What? Wait, you will? Great! Great… Do you need a sec?” She leaned back and forth on her heels, her stomach growling and also in knots from his answer. 

Jonathan shook his head and opened his door, offering her to come in. It would sincerely be rude and weird of her to decline his offer so she obliged. When she brushed past him, Katie almost froze as he smelled faintly of cigarettes and a delicious cologne. The scent made her cheeks turn a bright pink and her head spin slightly. “So what state are you from?” He already knew the answer, he just had to play it low as he searched for his keys.

“Michigan. I’m from Metamora which issss… Here.” She held her right hand up and pointed to the spot. Sometimes Katie was rather lucky she lived in the mitten shaped state as it was easy to point out where she lived.

Pine gave a smile and chuckled a little at her literal handy map, “You can also use your left hand for the Upper Peninsula, yeah?” He raised his brows at her and chuckled again as she immediately held her left hand over her right.

A smile cracked across her face at his amusement. “It’s really pretty in the fall where I’m from. My folks actually own a place up in Tawas which is here,” She pointed it out “And my grandparents own a place in Caseville here.” She moved her finger down.

Finally, Pine found his keys and looked at Katie, nodding his head to the door. "So I assume you spent summers on the lake then? Which one is that, lake Huron?" It was hard for Pine not to just tell her he already knew everything about where she grew up. Cameron always talked about Katie during their down time and how he loved his little sister. In fact, she was the reason he joined the army in the first place so he could protect her. Jonathan had seen many pictures of Katie as a child and seeing her now was almost surreal as she looked nothing like the pictures anymore; aside from the brown hair and large green eyes. She had grown up beautifully and Jonathan couldn't deny that she was quite a catch. He shook his head thinking if Cameron were still here he would kick his ass for even thinking about Katie like that. 

"Yeah all the time. I was practically a fish and would come out a lobster from how burned I was." She laughed at a pleasant memory. "Anyways, I'll let you pick where to go since this is my first time outside of America." The shared feeling of discomfort eased out with the change of subject. After a few more minutes of walking, the pair finally made a decision and headed inside a cozy pub. 

The ambience of an English pub was unlike anything that an American pub ever hoped to compare to. Katie looked around in awe as they were given a table to sit at. "You were certainly right about it being your first time out of the country. You look like a Deer in headlights." Pine snorted, nodding at the younger woman.

The brunette shook her head and blushed a little at her companion's jeer. "Don't be making fun of me the minute we just met!" She smiled at Jonathan and laughed a little, feeling at ease with the weirdly relaxing atmosphere.

"Sorry, my mistake. I should have said you look like a tiny deer in headlights." Pine grinned and flipped the menu open, amused at the pout he was given as a reaction.

"Oh now you're going after my height? I totally didn't ask to get the shit end of the stick when it came to how tall I would be." Katie rolled her eyes and snorted. The two thanked their waiter as waters were brought over and placed their orders.

Jonathan leaned forward a little, smirking "You could have asked whoever was giving you the "shit end of the stick" to perhaps lower it a bit-" he gave a chuckle as Katie scoffed and playfully hit his shoulder. He didn't feel bad about his jokes at all as he had her giggling and amused. Much like Cameron, she fired back with insults of her own and seemed to even pick up on a bit of English humor despite never having been here. She must have been exposed to it when Cameron came home from duty. Pine took a swig of his beer and licked his lips, truly examining his soon to be partner. While she was short in height, she had a nice hour glass shaped body with curves to compliment her in the right areas. Naturally, his eyes lingered upon the ample bust of her chest causing a slight arousal to stir within him. Katie took a bite of her food before washing it down with her water. She decided against drinking that night as her excuse was "Moscow better serve if we get the chance to dip into the motherlands true Vodka" and she said it with a perfect accent.

"So what did you do before all of this?" She bit into a pub fry and raised her brows, finding herself at ease with him. This was the first time in a long time she had felt truly comfortable with a man and she had to give herself an inward cheer for it.

"I am going to assume that Angela told you I managed hotels?" He mimicked her expression and leaned back, taking another swig of his beer. Katie nodded and took another fry into her mouth, waiting for him to continue. Pine was a bit hesitant to tell her that he served as they were having a great night and started an understanding of each other. He certainly didn't want to ruin the evening with his own guilt and trying to come up with the excuse of not being able to help her brother and that it was his fault he died. "I… I served. Two tours in Iraq." He tested the waters and immediately should have known not to say anything as he noticed Katie's expression change. 

  
"Oh. Uh, I-I had a brother who served too. His name was Cameron." Her green eyes darted away and fingers tapped on the glass of her water. The brunette's heart sank as pieces began to fall together. She had seen Jonathan Pine before in pictures that her brother sent home. Albeit, he was younger and still very much handsome.

Any chemistry that had built between the two was now gone and panic struck Jonathan. "Kate, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before." He noticed her shift uncomfortably and started to pack her belongings.

She froze at the name he called her as only Cameron referred to her by that. "Do _NOT_ call me Kate." Tears welled up in her eyes and she stood abruptly, pulling her money out and nervously shuffling over to where she had to pay. This was the friend who told her brother all of the jokes that he gave unto her. This was one of Cameron's best friends… And the very person who watched him die. She felt around her pockets and noticed her phone was gone. Quickly she headed back over and gave Pine one last look, "See you tomorrow." She muttered before rushing out as fast as she could. The pub was relatively close to their flat so she didn't need any sort of guidance.

Jonathan grit his teeth together and ran a hand through his short curly locks. Brilliant. Some spy he was. How in the world was he supposed to work with the little sister of the friend he killed while on duty? Only time would tell and Pine certainly hoped like hell that it would heal the wound too.


	2. Wolfsbane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mission begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning to a sensitive topic regarding assault.

**_BEEP, BEEP! BEEP, BEEP! BEEP, BEEP!_ **

Jonathan’s hand slammed down on the alarm clock, turning the irritating machine off. He raised his head and groaned as it was 4:40 AM and it made him wonder why in the hell he set the alarm _that_ early. Angela told he and Katie to be at her office at 6 AM sharp, but for god sake- 

“Five more minutes…” He mumbled, ticking the alarm to ten minutes instead of five like he said so. 

He was trying to sleep off his moderate hangover and dull headache from last night after he made the dumb decision of upsetting his partner for the investigation. It was not until 1 AM that Pine decided to call it quits on the partially helpful alcohol and head back. The way that Katie had rushed out after he let slip that he was her brother’s friend and watched him die made him feel horrible. So much for a first introduction of sorts and hoping to form at least a decent bond with the young woman. Pine pleaded to whatever God was listening that the mission they were assigned on would pass by quickly or become cold again. It was rather dark to think that, but he could not deal with the literal lingering guilt at his side. He would have to come up with a way to push those feelings aside and quick in order for their mission to go as smoothly as possible. Just as the thought settled and Jonathan’s eyes lulled shut, the incessant beeping returned with a vengeance and for some reason, it was louder than before. Once again, Pine’s large hand slammed down on the noisy clock and forced himself from the confines of his bed. A shiver ran down his body from the cool air of his room as he stretched his waking body from the stasis of sleep. His blue eyes glanced over to the window and naturally, it was raining. He sighed with slight irritation and rubbed the bridge of his nose as the headache made its presence more apparent. Hopefully a hot shower before he left would help ease the now growing throb of his head. 

Unfortunately for Katie, she had not gotten a wink of sleep last night and spent her waking moments dissociating. Logically, she knew that it was not Pine's fault that Cameron had died but she couldn’t help but let herself morbidly blame him for it. Her opinion of Jonathan had quickly changed as did her attitude of working with him as he was a man. She guessed by her reaction, he would show his true colors like all men did once they upset a woman and be an absolute prick. The brunette shook her head and let out a deep sigh, smacking the heel of her palm against her forehead. “Stupid, stupid, stupid…” She muttered to herself, getting up and whining from the unpleasant tingle that shot to her feet. Maybe she could convince Angela to let her go on her own? If she told the truth and her discomfort of men? No. She had only met the woman yesterday but she seemed like the type of person to tell you to bite the bullet and stick to it. “Fuck me.” She groaned softly, walking toward the bathroom and shedding her clothes off to shower before she left. Why did she even accept this stupid job? Sure it meant being paid well and going to travel, but she would be risking her life along with another person. If she chickened out now, then all those years of study and training would go down the drain. Katie also assumed that Cameron would be super disappointed in her after she had worked so hard to get where she was now. “I just had to be partnered up with your old buddy, didn’t I?” She asked out loud while scrubbing the chill from her skin with warm water and soap. After spending around ten more minutes in the shower, Katie just about screamed from noticing what time it was. The clock read 5:30 AM and the ten minutes spent basking in the hot water was not ten minutes at all. “Shit!! Wonderful first impression off to a good start!!” she grabbed the clothes that were set out for this morning and quickly shoved them on the best she could as her body was not completely dried off. Katie wanted to hit her head against a brick wall as hard as she could at this point and hopefully knock herself unconscious. Thankfully, the only thing that seemed to be in her favor was that her suitcase was already packed and good to go. The brunette furiously brushed her teeth and jumped around while trying to pull a sock onto her foot. “MMMGH!!” She clenched her teeth together and almost fell to the floor as she hit her exposed knee on the door wall. Foamy toothpaste dribbled from her mouth as she shut her eyes tightly and eventually did fall flat on her bottom and cried. She prayed no one heard her or that she woke anyone up, though it was unlikely she did not. 

“Perfect, just fucking perfect!” She spit into the sink and rinsed her mouth, growling in frustration and shoving her toiletries into her suitcase. “Hi Angela! Sorry I’m like twenty minutes late on my first fucking day of the job!!” She began to monologue and search for her wallet and phone charger. “I didn’t get any sleep last night because of my fear of men and my existential dread over my dead brother-” she fished the last of her needed items out and grabbed the door handle, “because the asshole you paired me with is the guy who killed him-!” Katie’s jaw dropped as Pine had been standing right outside of her door, presumably waiting for her. Her hands flew over her mouth and her eyes quickly fell to the floor from shame.

“To answer your question, I heard everything. Even the part about me being an arsehole and “murdering” your brother.” His tone was cool and face unreadable. 

“You didn’t have to wait for me…” Katie’s voice became quiet. 

“Well I did because I thought that maybe I should apologize about last night and perhaps talk things through. However, it seems apparent that your mind has been made up already.” Pine snapped, huffing and turning on his heel to walk out. Here he thought maybe talking to her would start them off fresh and possibly help to deal with the guilt he felt. Turns out that was not an option in the slightest and further wounded the ex soldier after hearing her rant. 

Katie raised her hand to stop him from walking so fast, but he had already left her alone in her doorway. Sighing loudly, the brunette girl did a once over around her flat before locking the door and slamming it shut. She didn’t really give a shit if she woke anyone up now as this mission was already a complete failure. 

Naturally, Pine was first to arrive at Angela's office and took the time on his walk to cool off and shove what happened to the back of his mind.

All those thoughts were forced back up front when Katie stumbled in five minutes later, panting.

Angela’s brows knit together at the girl, “You’re late.” She bluntly stated.

The younger woman waved her hand and took another second to catch her breath, shooting a glare at Pine who subtly smirked at her being called out. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. I swear to God I am NEVER late-” 

“Except for now?” Jonathan spoke sarcastically and raised his brows, amused by how little it took to anger the American woman. 

Katie glared at Pine, stomping her way over and pulling the chair aggressively seated next to the man away.

Rob slowly lifted his head from some papers to witness what all was happening, keeping to himself.

“Aren’t you two just chummy.” Angela muttered under her breath and rolled her eyes, “Great to see you took my advice of _trying_ to get to know each other.” She frowned, folding her hands on her desk.

“Excuse me!! I wasn’t aware that I would have the displeasure of being paired up with my dead brother’s killer-” 

“Killer!? There you go again with blaming his death on me. I did not kill him, _Katelyn O’Connor_. If you knew half of what went down that day, maybe you would have a different outlook!” Pine swiveled his body around to face Katie. 

The younger woman’s nostrils flared, “Really?! Then why was he sent home in fucking pieces!? Did you know we had to have a closed casket funeral that oh by the way, I never saw you, _Jonathan Pine,_ attend?! It is your fault he is six feet underground when you could have saved him!!” 

Jonathan stood up abruptly and loomed over the shorter woman who also rose from her seat, half tempted to spit in his handsome face. “You-” 

“ENOUGH!! Fuck!” Angela slammed her palms down on her desk and growled. “I swear you two are worse than my fucking toddler! I don’t know what the hell went on last night, but it ends now if we are going to solve this case and bring whoever is running this circus down! I’m sorry to say that there is not anyone else I have to take your places and that you are stuck together. So unless you want to get killed out on the field over personal matters, I suggest you put it aside and at least be civil with each other!” The Director looked at both of them and threw her hands up, “Sit down!!” 

Not wanting anymore issues, the agents obliged to Angela’s words but still cast nasty glances at each other. “Now if we are done being school children, I would like to debrief on what is going to happen. Can you handle that? Or do I need to bring out a get along t-shirt?” Angela waited for a reply, but got a silent nod from them instead. Whatever, as long as she got the information out and them on their way. “There has been a new break in the investigation and evidence has been found in Moscow. See here, there are poppies on the arms of victims from over in our neck of the woods and another similar marking on victims across the pond.” Her brown eyes glanced up at Katie before she continued, “However, with the recent uprising with this strange group making a comeback, a new flower is being used. Wolfsbane.” She tapped a picture that was recently printed.

Pine quickly snatched it from Angela before Katie had a chance to look at it, causing both women to roll their eyes. “What’s with the flowers anyhow?” He shook his head and gave the picture back to Angela who then handed it to Katie.

The Director shrugged, “Haven’t a clue. I suppose that’s just a signature they like usin’ after they finish with a crime.” 

“Could have to do with poison.” Katie cleared her throat and handed the picture back. “Poppies and Wolfsbane are poisonous flowers, I’m just making a guess here but I think they’re using those kinds of flowers as a warning that these people are not to be messed with.” She folded her arms over her chest.

“No, I thought that maybe they wanted to decorate the crime scene with pretty flowers.” Jonathan shot at his partner who in turn clenched her fists.

“What the fuck did I just say?” Angela whined, dragging her hands down her face and growling from irritation.

“Sorry, Angela. I think some of us just don’t have the decency to hold back any snark when they aren’t in the spotlight.” Katie smirked and slyly winked at Pine.

The nerve of this woman! Pine could definitely see the side of his late friend in her that he absolutely detested.

“Right then. Anyways, while I like your theory Katie, the reasoning behind these symbols are still unknown. If the two have any correlation, report it back immediately. In the meantime, your target is Abaddon Hasapis.” Angela pulled a picture of a very elegant, yet sinister looking woman out. Her hair was curled and frame confident, knowing. Her eyes held a nefarious gleam and bow shaped lips cast a dirty smirk. “I want details on this woman as her name seems to be popping up in each new case that we receive on the Wolfsbane crimes. She is a socialite and often attends auctions, charities and parties for the wealthy. Naturally, none of the money in the charity events actually goes to the intended group. There is a gala in Moscow that she will be attending within the next three days.” Angela took a deep breath in, pursing her lips and looking at her agents sternly, “You two will be attending this gala and are a lovely couple who recently got engaged.” 

Both of their jaws dropped slightly and each made a move to complain about their roles before Angela stopped them. “No, no! I will not be having any other interjections! Katie O’Connor no longer exists for the time being nor does Jonathan Pine. Instead, you are Steven Ranger and Natasha Romans. Your hotel is the Metropol and let me just say it was not an easy feat to get reservations. It is around a 10 minute drive from the gala and a bit of a hike should you find yourselves without transportation. I’ve had your measurements marked down and your appropriate attire sent to your room.” She clapped her hands together and raised her brows, sighing quickly. “Any questions before you go? And not about why you’re a couple.” She shot that complaint down faster than the agents could say uncle. The room went silent and Angela looked from Katie to Jonathan one last time before standing up and ushering them out. “Off you go then! As soon as you reach the train, shoot me a text, the hotel give me a call and then keep track of whatever information you gather. You won’t be returning to England for some time so I expect your best behavior. I cannot believe I am having to even say that. Please try not to bite each other’s heads off.” Her arms fell to her sides and she gave a frown.

Pine nodded, flashing a small smile “There won’t be any biting since her bark is the worst she can do.” 

“PINE!!” Katie smacked the tall man’s arm hard and growled. 

“Ah, ah. _Steven_ is my name, dear _Natasha.”_

Katie had not the faintest idea how in the hell she would survive this mission with this asshole or if she didn’t end up killing him by the end of it. 

The way to the train station was relatively quiet for the most part except for the occasional grunt or cough. “Watch where you’re going! Fuckin’ wanker.” A pedestrian bumped hard into Katie and made her turn around, glaring before catching Pine smirk out of the corner of her eye.

“You think me getting called a wanker is funny?” She clenched her jaw.

Jonathan made a disgusted face, “Please refrain from saying that word ever again. It does not sound right when you say it with your, your whatever American accent. In fact, please refrain from speaking at all. Your voice is annoying.” He felt the girl sock him in the ribs with her elbow and trudge through. As she stomped forward to the conductor, Pine noticed a group of men eyeing Katie up and down while she was too busy being a piss ant.

“She yours?” One of them asked, pulling a cigarette from his lips and blew smoke. The men must have seen her little stunt that she pulled earlier.

“Ah, no. She’s not. I actually do not even know her, she’s just some rude American. Bloody foreign women, feisty they are.” He lied, giving a curt nod to the men before following Katie in short. They sat 3 rows apart as neither of them wanted to even so much as look at one another. At least now Pine could get some peace and quiet for a bit with the two day trip to Russia ahead of them. Technically, they didn’t have to put on the gag-inducing task of acting like a couple right away, but unbeknownst to them, it would have been wise to do so in the first place. 

Pine shot Angela a text before putting his phone away to read up on the case and a book he had brought. He was an avid reader and quite enjoyed Shakespearean works and complicated theories. The book he had brought would serve great entertainment as it was packed with an abundance of Plato’s work. A few more passengers hurried onto the train before it departed, rudely shoving their way through the corridors.

“Watch it!” One of them bumped into Pine rather harshly and caused his book to fall.

The dark blonde man looked up while grabbing his book at the stranger and scoffed. He thought about retorting back, but decided it wasn’t worth the time to get into a fight when he already knew of the nonsense he’d be bickering over with Katie. Shaking his head, Pine dusted his book off and sighed. Around fifteen minutes had passed since the train departed and a very strong smell of nicotine permeated the air. Normally, Jonathan didn’t mind it as he was an occasional smoker himself. However, it was overwhelmingly pungent and particularly disgusting. Unfortunately for him, the source of the smell was sitting nearby and likely not to change carts soon. 

“Hey there poppet.” A rough looking man took a seat in front of Katie, flashing his yellowed teeth.

Two more men followed in suit, one of them sitting next to her and causing her to scrunch her nose from the strong odor of nicotine. Her heart began to race as she could practically feel the intention of these men radiate off them. “Please don’t call me that. I don’t mean to be standoffish, but I’d like to be left alone.” Katie’s voice cracked and she turned to look out the window, trying to calm down as past trauma was racing into her bloodstream.

“That chap from earlier was right about you American women.” A dirty hand snatched Katie’s chin as the owner forced her to look at him. He licked his cracked lips and eyed her up and down with his soulless gaze, “Pretty one she is though. You may be a bitch, but that makes ‘em all the more fun to toy with.” He chuckled and released her face, grabbing her arm.

Katie’s eyes widened and she shook her head. She was completely frozen as she felt grubby fingers crawl over her knee and up her thigh. Small, quiet noises of panic were the only thing that could escape her throat as fear came over the young woman. The touches stopped once a tear slid down her cheek and her body flinched hard as one of the men wiped the tear away.

“Aww little poppet’s scared. What’sa matter? You still a maiden waiting for the right one?” The third man’s breath was enough to make Katie want to throw up.

She shook her head no, unable to speak still and felt the fingers resume their unwanted caresses. Her breath began to pick up and her eyes flicked down as the button on her jeans was undone. “Please don’t-” She muttered, her body trembling as she felt fingers start to slide down her pants. “Please.” She cried softly, shutting her eyes before feeling the touches aggressively ripped off of her. 

“Oi! What’s all this about!? You’re that bloke from earlier!! I thought you said she wasn’t yours!! Bloody liar, she ain’t about to be yours no more-” 

The sound of Pine’s fist hitting one of Katie’s assailants had everyone in the cart turn their attention to the sudden fight. Jonathan grabbed the other two and tossed them out, bringing his elbow down on the back of one's neck and twisting the arm of the other until he heard a pop. A scream of pain erupted from the man and the train suddenly jolted to a complete stop. Pine grabbed the front of the man who initiated Katie’s attempted assault and growled, “She belongs to no one but herself. Unlike people of your ilk, I actually respect women and don’t fucking touch them without their consent! You would be wise to use the single brain cell in that thick head of yours to exit now considering our interaction has caused an issue. Get. Out. NOW!!” He threw the man to the ground and saw the trio scamper off the train as the doors opened.

Police shortly put them in handcuffs before another came in to interrogate Pine. “I’d have you in bars too for what you did, but these three have been a problem for months now with harassing women. Keep yourself outta trouble, will ya?” The officer nodded to Pine before waving to everyone as a signal the situation had been handled.

Once the officer departed and the doors shut, Jonathan held his hand out to Katie. “I doubt you want to continue to sit here and reminisce over those pigs. I know we aren’t on good terms but-” Jonathan stopped as Katie took his hand and got up, her bag over her shoulder and her eyes full of tears. The spy nodded and exhaled, leading the way to where he was sitting and helping Katie settle in. It was only until she finally calmed down that the girl released Pine’s hand. 

“Why?” She sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “Why’d you come to my rescue? You hate me.” 

“I hate it when women are taken advantage of.” His blue eyes sparkled for a moment as he thought of his late Sophie Alekan. “I don’t… I don’t hate you, Katie. Just because you blame me for _that,”_ He paused, choosing his next words carefully, “Doesn’t mean that I hate you. Actually, if you would have let me explain earlier I still feel that it was my fault. I have nightmares about that day and there isn’t a moment that goes by where I wish I would have been in his stead.” He looked at her, an honest expression resting on his face. 

Katie’s brows turned upward and caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “Pine-” She closed her eyes and then sighed, “Steven.” She corrected herself, “I’m sorry for what happened i-it’s just it was so sudden and you know how humans are; we have a horrible habit of putting the blame onto someone and-” She stopped as Jonathan waved his hand as a signal that he no longer wished to dwell on the topic.

“We can talk about it some other time but right now, are you ok? They didn’t hurt you?” His tone became soft.

Katie shook her head and she gave a small, wry smile. “Thankfully, no. I just couldn’t fight back. I can totally fight back, but I just- I guess I just froze up.” She admitted weakly, not wanting to see the disappointment in Jonathan’s stunning baby blues.

“Is that why you were so nervous around me yesterday evening? And your flinch when we shook hands?” his question caused her to force her gaze back up.

Katie’s pink lips parted as she was flabbergasted at how easy she was to read and nodded slowly. She pulled her arms around herself and swallowed the urge to cry down, “I’ll admit when Angela told me I was working with you, I felt afraid. For two years, I lived in a nightmare and never thought I would escape. By the time I did, I changed.” She rubbed her lips together, unable to stop the tears. “His name is Travis Smithson and he is the man that made me frightened of men and unable to live normally for three years.” she sniffled, wiping her tears and rubbing her face in her sleeve. 

Jonathan’s heart sank and he felt the urge to hug her, but did not do so. “I’m so very sorry to hear that, Natasha. You certainly didn’t deserve it…” He made a mental note of her ex's name, stashing it in the back of his head for future reference. “Are you still afraid of me?” He asked softly, leaning forward just a bit.

Katie shook her head and gave a shaky exhale before giving him a tiny smile, “No. I’m just mad I’m stuck with an asshole.” She began to giggle and brighten up, causing Pine to smile as well.

“Well if we’re going to be on those terms again, then you’re just as much of an arsehole as I am… No, not as much because you’re too short.” He laughed as Katie hit him with her sleeve that wasn’t covered in snot.

“Leave my height out of this!!” She smiled at him and chuckled softly at his jeer. “Hey, thank you for rescuing me. Maybe you aren’t as much of an asshole as I thought you were, even if you did call me a bitch to those men.” She smirked and pulled her tablet out.

“To be fair, you kind of were acting like one.” He received a playful kick for his comment and shoved her leg away from anymore kicks. “But, I would at least like to make up for earlier and it is the right thing to do. Your brother would have kicked my ass if I didn’t.” He saw a smile at the mention of Cameron.

“Yeah he would have. No one messes with Cam’s little sister and gets away with it.” 

The rest of the trip went smoothly with Katie and Jonathan coming to civil terms and an agreement to have a long in depth discussion regarding Cameron’s death. “Shit.” Jonathan smacked his forehead and groaned softly to himself.

“What? What is it?” Katie became alarmed and sat up from her light snooze.

“I don’t know a lick of Russian. Please tell me you know enough to get us by? I did read your file but didn’t see anything about languages except Japanese.” He opened one eye, looking at his younger companion.

“Luckily for us, I do. Unfortunately, I can’t read jack shit of it and I only know a few basics. Other than that, we will have to play stupid.” She immediately ate her words as a smirk crept onto Pine’s face.

“I thought you already were playing stupid- Hey!!” He laughed as she quickly changed seats to get him into a sort of choke hold and rub her fist on his curly head. Jonathan fought her off after a few more seconds before she returned to her seat. “It says you’re 24 but you certainly act like you’re a teenager.” He mused, raising a brow at her as the train came to its final stop.

Katie stood up and smiled at him, shifting her bag “What’s the fun in life acting like a 38 year old who bullies young ladies?” She grinned, watching him pack his belongings before exiting the train with her.

“You forgot- Short, young ladies.” his large hand grabbed Katie’s head gently and ruffled her hair before chuckling at her pout.

“Watch it, you-” Her smile soon faded as police lights flashed brightly ahead with plenty of caution tape to spare. Jonathan looked behind himself and gently took Katie’s hand, walking fast and attempting to get a glance at the scene. Russian officers kept shouting at the on goers, telling them to move along and that there was nothing to see. A tarp had been laid out over the apparent victim with their pale arm visible to Katie and Jonathan’s view. 

A wolfsbane flower had been carved into the victims arm along with the same flower decorating the scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone notice my little romanogers reference? ahue


	3. Mimosa Pudica

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Touch is a fickle thing
> 
> Translations at the end

“Shit, I didn’t expect this as some sort of sick welcoming to Russia.” Katie muttered under her breath, wanting to get closer but feeling Jonathan tug on her hand.

“Don’t. I know that we are here for it, but we can’t lead onto suspicion in case the members of the gang are around watching.” Pine spoke lowly, eyes peeled for anyone who looked shifty enough to be listening in.

Sighing in defeat, Katie agreed and followed Pine’s lead, continuing to hold his hand. The warm feeling of his skin caused the girl to blush slightly and because of how nice his hand felt, she was rather reluctant to let go.

“Starting the part now?” Pine flashed a small grin, giving her hand a squeeze.

“Th-That’s what you got from it?” Katie stuttered, caught off guard by his sudden point.

“You haven’t let go of my hand since we left the station, darling.” He mused to himself, not upset by the fact.

“Well, _dear_ , I haven’t had a choice now have I? After all, we could have gotten at least a bit of a head start with that crime scene.” She raised her brows and narrowed her eyes slightly.

“And risk ourselves the first night on the job? I admire your enthusiasm, but rookie moves like that are hardly advised.” Pine stopped for a moment, noticing that they had reached a taxi station and released Katie’s hand. The brunette scoffed, folding her arms over her chest and gave him her pout he found adorable. “Unlike you, I was practically thrown into the job from the get go. I had no training.” He looked around, cars passing by but no sign of a taxi yet. Pine pulled a pack of cigarettes out from his coat and pulled a stick out. 

“Is this a pissing contest, Steven?” Katie looked at him with disgust. 

“Only if you want it to be, Natasha. I didn’t have any intentions of making it one, but be my guest. I’m positive I can win with the shit I’ve seen and been through.” He rolled his eyes, lighting the cigarette and taking a drag before huffing smoke out into the cool night air. 

The American woman bit her tongue, not wanting to ruin what they had just started to mend. Finally, after a few more moments standing out in the cold a taxi pulled up. The window lowered and gave Katie her chance to shine, “Простите меня, нам с женихом нужен лифт до гостиницы «Метрополь».” She spoke in a broken accent.

The driver looked Katie up and down, sneering a bit at how bad her Russian sounded, “Конечно.” was all he said. Picking up on how unamused the driver appeared, the brunette woman had to hold back her mock sneer, “Спасибо.”

She got in as Pine opened the door for her and then followed in short. Before Jonathan could ask what was with the driver’s attitude, Katie held a finger up. “Извините, вы говорите по-английски?” She raised a brow and the driver.

A loud and incredibly unnecessary sigh came from the driver, “Нет, я выгляжу так, будто говорю по-английски? Я здесь не для того, чтобы быть вашим другом, леди. Заткнись и сядь, чтобы поездка прошла быстрее.”

Katie scoffed at how rude he was. She couldn’t understand half of what he just said but assumed it was not nice. “He’s an asshole.” She looked at Jonathan and scowled at the driver in the mirror.

“Oh come now, darling. Leave the poor man alone, I’m sure he has had a busy night.” Jonathan gave a fake smile to the driver and placed his arm around Katie. His action caused her to flinch hard and forced Pine to pull his arm away. Pine’s blue eyes shined in the light from outside in apology for his unannounced gesture.

Katie’s expression saddened and she shifted to her side of the window, looking out of the glass. 

The short ride remained uneventful with silence not being a comfort at all. Katie was glad to get out of that stuffy taxi once they reached their destination. She wasn't even excited to see the Metropol at this point as her evening had been awkward and uncomfortable. Jonathan looked around before paying the driver and thanking him, only to receive a loud honk and tire rip. "Arsehole." He mumbled, glaring at the cab driver as he took off into the night. The interior of the Metropol was gorgeous to say the least, but it seemed a bit dull with the attitudes that the agents had coming in. Their room seemed to make things more irritable as there was only one bed.

"Ugh!! Of course it's only a single bed!!" Katie ran her fingers through her short brown hair and sat at the edge.

Pine looked around the room in hope of finding a couch to sleep on so the brunette would be more comfortable, but sadly he was unsuccessful. "Are you worried about our sleeping arrangement?" He asked openly and his gaze softened.

"If I'm gonna be honest, y-yes. I haven't shared a bed with anyone s-since… Since.." emotions began to build up into her throat and she shut her green eyes tightly. 

_-flash-_

_"GET ON THE FUCKING BED NOW, BITCH!!" Travis screamed at a frightened Katie._

_"No!! I don't want to have sex tonight, Travis!! I'm so damn sick of you thinking you can scare me into fucking you!! I had a long day at school and work, I just wanna sleep!" She sobbed, her hands falling to her sides. Katie tried to make a beeline for the living room as she would take the couch for the night. At this rate, anything was better than sleeping with her abusive boyfriend. She screeched as she felt him yank on her shoulder length hair._

_"When I fucking tell you do to something- you do it!" He threw her onto the bed and began to unbuckle his belt, before whipping her with it._

_-flash-_

"Katie? Hey, you're ok. You're safe." Pine knelt in front of the hysterical girl, his hands holding her own. "No one is going to hurt you, I've got you. Breathe. Slow deep breaths." He gave her hands a comforting squeeze and wondered how on earth she would make it through this mission. Katie let out another sob and allowed Jonathan to hold her hands as she felt a sort of comfort from him. She began to do as Pine said, taking deep breaths while calming down. "That's it. Just breathe alright? I'm not going to let anything happen to you. He isn't here and I'm going to protect you. Can you trust me?" He rubbed his thumbs gently on her smooth skin.

Katie nodded and exhaled, "I'm sorry. I'm pathetic." She laughed sadly.

"No you're not. You've been through something horrible that's only made you stronger. Would you allow me to hold your hands like this if you were not?" His voice was soft as if he was speaking to a child.

Katie shook her head, "No. I'd be terrified to let you even get this close to me if I was still the same person I was a few years back." She felt his hands start to loosen their grip on her own. "Don't." Her eyes became a little wide from how loud she became at her request.

Pine smiled softly at her and resumed his hold on her hands. "Would it make you more comfortable if we had a wall between us? I did try to look for a couch, but… No luck." He shrugged.

The brunette's heart warmed at his consideration and she shook her head, "I think I'll be ok. I know I've been kind of mean to you, but you are different. I can't say I have ever met a man like yourself." She sniffled, returning the smile.

Flattered, Jonathan gave a small chuckle and even felt his cheeks heat up. He had heard many women say this to him but the feeling he got from it never got old. 

Having calmed down, Katie was of course first to claim the shower. Pine shook his head at the noises of delight from behind the bathroom door.

"They've got a damn jacuzzi in here!!" He heard her shout.

The door to the bathroom slid wide open and thankfully, Katie was already showered and dressed. "I didn't even notice it until now!" She chuckled, rubbing her hair with the towel before sitting on the bed. “Your turn.” Katie gave a smile to Pine and swayed her feet on the side of the bed as her feet hardly touched the ground.

Noticing this, Jonathan grinned and nodded to her feet “If you need help climbing down in the morning, don’t hesitate to ask.” The towel that Katie had around her neck was promptly tossed at Pine’s direction. He caught the damp fabric in one of his large hands and chuckled at her before entering the luxurious bathroom. Angela set them up well as this was no ordinary hotel bathroom set up… They certainly got the couple suite complete with a romantic setting. For a moment, Jonathan actually pondered the notion of actually being involved with his partner but quickly shook it off. He doubted that she would appreciate such a thought let alone the progress they still had to build. Speaking of, another thought came to mind which had him wondering how in the world they were going to act tomorrow, especially if they had to dance. Katie had been gracefully lenient to be comfortable with him touching her hands, but the small of her back, waist, shoulders, neck, everything really was a different story. 

“Ka- Natasha?” Pine quickly corrected himself as he walked out of the bathroom, finished up and dressed for bed.

Quickly, Katie snorted from a light slumber and sat up fast “Oh shit- What’s up?” She stretched her limbs and rubbed her eyes.

Pine’s phone began to ring incessantly as the both of them completely forgot to call Angela. “That’s what’s up first.” He muttered, grabbing his phone and sighing, “Hello?” 

“You’re a few hours late calling me, y’know.” Angela’s mom voice was apparent. 

“Yeah, sorry about that. We just settled in after a bit of a tussle is all. I wasn’t expecting the job to start so soon with being witness to a crime scene.” Pine rubbed the back of his neck, pacing the room. 

“A crime scene!? God save the queen those bastards are insatiable aren’t they? Well, was it them?” She sighed 

“Mhm. Wolfsbane flower and everything. One of us wanted to get a closer look and perhaps ask about what went on, but I suggested that it was better to lay low on the first night.” Pine’s blue eyes darted to Katie who rolled her eyes in return. 

“Smart move. Anyhow, I doubt you have too much information tonight so I’ll let you get back to whatever. I hope you two are getting along alright- Hey!! I gotta go, little one is restless, I said no cookies-” The phone hung up and Jonathan tossed it to the side.

Katie quirked a brow up at Jonathan, “I’m guessing that she was just checking in on us?” 

Pine nodded and then took a deep breath in, “So.” He exhaled, looking at the young woman with some nervousness. Katie still held her confused expression and waved her hand as a gesture to continue. “I am going to make an educated guess here and say that we will be expected to dance at some point. To make our disguises more distinguished. I’m gonna need you to trust me with more than just holding your hands.” He said regrettably and nodded.

A blush warmed Katie’s cheeks and she shifted a little where she sat. Slowly, she slid off the bed and chewed the inside of her cheek as she padded forth to Pine. Her nerves were very much on alert and caused her body to tremble. For years she had managed to avoid any male contact aside from her hands up until now. She couldn't back out. "Okay." She swallowed, looking up at him and moving closer. Immediately, she flinched as Pine tried to raise his hands. "Wait." She held her arms tightly around herself and took in a deep breath.

"We can't dawdle." Jonathan shook his head, moving closer with her stepping back.

"I know that! I-I just… Let me guide you." She licked her lips and tip toed forward, pulse racing. It was as though there was an invisible wall between the both of them as Katie hesitated to grab his hands. She had to push forward and trust in him. The only "terrible" thing he had done was kept who he was from her and mock her. Angela could have partnered her up with someone who would not even show an ounce of respect as Pine had. Even from the short amount of time, Katie gathered that yeah Pine can be a royal asshole, but at least he had class. 

With shaky hands and a nervous exhale, the brunette grabbed Jonathan’s large hands gently and looked at them. “I’m trying to figure out where I’d be most uncomfortable first.” She glanced up at Pine, who nodded at her. The answer was everywhere, but with Pine she felt different. He absolutely had no malicious intent with placing his hands on her frame. This fact had brought Katie a bit of comfort and she gently placed his right hand on the small of her back and left to the back of her bare neck. Out of instinct, her body jolted away and she cowered into herself, growling in annoyance.

“It’s ok, we have plenty of time as it’s only 10 PM. We can take as long as you need.” Jonathan reassured her, biting his lip a little as he thoroughly enjoyed how soft her skin was against his rough hands.

The American woman nodded and took a few more deep breaths, focusing on the fact that Pine didn’t sink his fingers into her flesh as Travis would have. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she now missed Pine’s touch and how gentle it was. Her brain was starting to rewire how male touches would make her react and this time she was more confident in letting Jonathan touch her. Creeping forward and straightening her posture, Katie resumed her position in front of her partner and took his hands once more. The feeling of dread began to make its presence known once more, but the green eyed girl shook it off. She would not allow herself to revert back into that weak, spineless shell of a person she once was years ago. Katie placed his hands where she had previously put them and looked into Jonathan’s eyes, counting down from five for when her body reacted. He stared right back at her and did not curl a single finger; only having them rest naturally along her form. 

A sense of calm warmed the young woman’s chest as it had certainly been more than five seconds. Katie broke out into a smile, happy tears in the corners of her eyes as she removed Pine’s hands and placed them on a different area. This time she placed both of his hands on her hips and felt no urge to pull away or flinch. Seeing the brunette smile made Pine break out into one of his own. 

“You’re not hurting me.” she laughed softly as for the first time in years, she took in the feeling of a man’s touch. 

“I would never hurt you. Would never dream of it.” Jonathan replied, his smile growing bigger at her touched expression. 

“Cam brought you to me…” Her smile faded a little as more tears blurred her vision. 

Pine tilted his head in confusion, removing his hands from her hips. 

“You didn’t kill him. Listen, this is gonna sound crazy because I’m into a lot of the paranormal stuff but I think that Cam trusted you enough to have our paths meet. Wow that sounded really dumb.” Katie sniffled and chuckled at her own words. 

While it did sound certainly far-fetched, Jonathan couldn’t help but feel as if there was definitely truth behind her words. He knew that this was a big stepping point in their partnership and perhaps even friendship, but they still had much to learn. “May I also say something incredibly crazy?” Pine gave her a small smile. She nodded at him to continue, wondering what he had to say. “I’m a bit of a skeptic when it comes to things like that, but because you are so truly in belief of that then I would wager that I owe him a favor. He never outright said anything about it, but he always did go on about if anything happened to him then he’d need someone to make sure his “little fox” stays out of trouble. I am inclined to take this favor and say he wants me to protect you.” The smile grew and even he had a slight urge to shed a few tears.

Katie’s big smile returned and she gave a soft chuckle. “I think I’d like that a lot. I can’t really see anyone else in your place because they wouldn’t meet the requirements.” She grinned mischievously, making her way on over to the large bed and hopping on it.

“Oh? And what would those requirements be?” Pine returned the grin, going to the opposite side of the bed. 

“Tall, dashing, a sort of boyish charm, large and gentle hands, wonderful qualities about respect, dark curly blonde hair, piercing blue eyes and being an occasional asshole.” She laughed as her words received a scoff from the man next to her.

“You had me up until the last bit.” He teased, opening the sheets and climbing into them. “We can try a bit of dancing in the morning to get you more comfortable before tomorrow night.” He leaned on his elbow, looking at the young woman beside him.

Katie smiled and nodded, “I’d like that. Thank you, Steven. You’re not too bad after all. G’night!” She her back to him, snuggling into the fresh, cozy sheets.

“Goodnight, Natasha.” Pine reached over to his bedside, turning the light off. 

\----------------

Heels clacked along the lobby floor as a slender woman with deep red hair and piercing amber eyes entered the hotel. She looked around, letting out a sigh as the people she was supposed to meet up with were late.

“My Dear sister.” A deep accented males voice spoke, causing the woman to turn.

A superficial grin crept across the woman’s face and she seemed to glide effortlessly over to the man claimed to be her brother. He too had deep auburn hair and the same colored eyes. “Daniel. How nice of you to join me!” She placed a kiss to his cheek and frowned, “Where are the rest of them?” Her accented voice became sharp.

Daniel placed his hand on his sister’s back and led her over to a cushioned chair by a roaring fire. “Patience, Abbadon. Our honored guests will arrive shortly enough. They have much to offer us with some exquisite pieces of fine art and jewels. I am most certain The Tigress will be most pleased with her surprise shipment of said jewels when we send them. However, you my sister, get first pick on what your heart desires.” He took a seat opposite the gorgeous woman.

Abbadon sneered at the mention of The Tigress. “Can she not get her own gems? She sifts through enough of her selection's belongings to buy herself something nice. You know she isn’t one for stealing unlike that creep in Osaka.” She shuddered at the thought.

Daniel frowned at her, “Come now, our Yakuza friend has done a great deal for us in the coming times. We just can’t be careless like that oaf Richard Roper.” He stared into the fire, snorting at the name. 

“Here I thought you had respect for the man. You did do some business with him after all, brother.” Abbadon sighed, swaying her hair away from her shoulder. 

“That’s the point, I did have respect up until his gig was busted. Now we are the ones having to do all the hard work and pick up where he left off. If it wasn’t for that one Andrew Birch fellow, and Roper’s blind trust in him, none of this would be happening right now.” Daniel’s knuckles became white as he clenched the arms of his chair. 

Abbadon held her hand up, “Calm yourself, Daniel. Mm, you certainly inherited our mother's temper no doubt about that. In any case, we should cease our conversation about this topic as I can see our “honored guests” approaching.” Her red lips pulled into a smirk as she rose from her seat and pulled a letter from her hand bag, sealed with a wax mark of the Wolfsbane flower. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Katie - Excuse me, my fiance and I need a lift to the Metropol 
> 
> Driver- Sure thing
> 
> Katie- Thank you 
> 
> Katie - Excuse me, do you speak english? 
> 
> Driver - Do I look like I fucking speak English? Look, I'm not here to make friends lady, I just wanna get on with this night faster.


	4. Red Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gala

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some minor non -con but nothing serious. This is a warning for those who need it.

The sun's morning light seeped through the tiny slit between the curtains. In the light's path lay two peacefully sleeping spies. Jonathan had his back facing the window and one arm wrapped around Katie’s resting form while the other was under his pillow. It was inevitable that this sort of thing would happen and although Pine did promise he wouldn’t end up in this position, the odds were against him. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open as his body had told him it was time to wake up and he inhaled sharply. He panicked a little as he realized what position he was in and carefully removed his arm from over her. Much to his sheer luck, Katie woke up with a gasp as he did so and felt an odd poking at her backside. “I-I’m so sorry.” He blushed, looking away from her and getting up from the once comfortable state he was in. “Biology. I can’t help it.” He tried to explain further, stumbling over his own words and exhaling loudly. This was humiliating. She probably thought he was a damn pervert after all that work they’d done to get her comfortable with his touch… 

“It’s ok. I uh… Actually woke up a bit before you and I forgot what it felt like to be held.” Katie’s cheeks matched Pines as she looked down at her own hands. “It was nice.” She added quietly and coyly flicked her gaze up at the dark blonde man. 

Jonathan’s blue eyes widened slightly at her confession and felt his heart beat a little faster in his chest. “Really? I mean, that’s great.” He laughed dryly, pressing his lips together and nodded his head. He continued to chastise himself internally at his sudden dumb school boy antics. This woman had him feeling all giddy and tingly inside for some reason. She was much too young of course, wasn’t she? No, she was definitely in the appropriate category of a possible hook-up. Pine mentally smacked himself for letting his hormones think for him and sighed through his nose.

“How long do we have until the gala? I was kind of wanting to maybe look around for a café and grab a coffee.” Katie’s question brought Pine out of his internal struggle and he looked up at her.

“It starts at 5 PM sharp and it’s 9 AM right now. I suppose we’ve got a bit of time for leisure, I’m going to stay up here and give Angela a call for the plan of action. If anything bothers you or you sense something suspicious, come back right away and keep your phone on you.” He watched the girl rummage through her suitcase before pulling out a nicer set of clothing.

“Ok! I won’t be gone for very long as I do want to doll up… I haven’t worn makeup in a long time.” She smiled bashfully, pushing her bangs from her eyes. “Oh! Do you uh, want anything maybe?” She shook her head and raised her brows at Jonathan.

“Earl Grey tea if they have it, otherwise no thanks.” 

Nodding, the young woman shut the bathroom door and changed into something more appealing. Katie figured a cute pink cardigan over a tank top and a pair of black skinny jeans was acceptable. Her sneakers were out of the question and she opted for a pair of flats. As she brushed her teeth, she couldn’t help but wonder what sort of dress Angela had picked out and prayed it would fit or at least be somewhat nice. Giving her messy hair a brush through and putting deodorant on, Katie came out of the bathroom and grabbed her phone, wallet and room card. “I shouldn’t be longer than like ten minutes. If I am, I’ll let you know.” She gave a wave to Pine as he stared at her before waving at him again.

He blinked and shook his head, “Sorry, er yeah. See you then and be careful.” He cleared his throat as the door to their suite shut. Despite their short time together, Pine never took Katie for the pink type. He found that he rather liked her in that color and how her ass looked in her skinny jeans- Jonathan groaned, smacking his forehead as his morning wood thought for him just as he hoped it went away to save him some embarrassment. 

The lobby was massive to say the least, and Katie was just now taking in how grand the place truly was as she hadn’t last night.

“Stunning, is it not?” A woman’s thick accented voice caught the brunette off guard.

Her green eyes locked with sharp amber orbs with bright red lips to match her pale complexion. “Y-Yeah.” Katie stuttered out, blushing a little as this woman was _gorgeous._ “Sorry, this is my first time out of the United States.” She rubbed the back of her neck, smiling sheepishly.

The woman raised her eyebrows, yet gave her a charming smile “I can see that. No offense, dear but you do look a little lost. Were you by chance looking for somewhere or someone in particular?” She inquired.

Katie nodded, “I was hoping there was a café around here so I could grab a coffee and a tea for my f-fiancé.” She blushed hard thinking about Pine and fiddled with the fake engagement ring on her finger.

“Ohh how sweet!!” The woman swooped over, placing her arm gently around Katie’s shoulders. “Come, come dear. I’ve been here thousands of times and I will show you the best spot for coffee. Oh how rude of me, my name is Abbey.” She gave the brunette’s shoulder a comforting squeeze.

Katie was about to reply but her brain suddenly clicked at the name and her appearance. Dark curled hair, piercing eyes and slender form. She had to assume that Abbey was short for Abbadon. 

“Oh jeeze, I’m sorry. I really need that coffee, I’m Natasha Romans.” she smiled, holding her hand out and shaking Abbeys.

“You’re a funny one aren’t you.” The auburn haired woman chuckled, leading her new friend over to the café. She ushered Katie to sit with her and gave a genuine smile. While she did deal in the underground business and committed unsavory crimes, it was nice to have a casual and harmless conversation with the public from time to time. It reminded her of the life she had wanted over the life she lived. “So since you said you are from America, I am from Greece. I come from a large wealthy family but the status of my wealth does not compensate for who I am as a person. In fact, I prefer the little pleasures in life over the vast amount of wealth.” Abbadon picked up her menu and skimmed over the options.

Katie couldn’t tell or not if this woman truly meant what she said as her appearance was saying otherwise. However, just because one is in a world of crime does not mean that they would like to continue to be in that lifestyle. “That’s really admirable of you. I like that a lot actually. Uh…” she gulped a little as she had mistakenly picked up a menu that was strictly in Russian.

Her sudden panic brought Abbadon’s attention back, “Oh I apologize. Here, allow me to read the options for you as I’m fluent in speech and writing… And thank you, it humbles me so that you think alike.” She flashed the young woman a smile before translating for her. “You see, the finest gems are often the little places that no one goes to often. Unfortunately, 90% of the time these places do not have any English as it is universal, but that is exactly what I like about these corner delights.” She nodded, placing the menu down. 

For a crime lord, Abbadon was extremely smooth and charismatic with her way of words. Her accent did not pose any hindrance to her English, which made Katie feel a bit better knowing she could understand her properly. “You’ve got a point! There is a little café where I’m from except further up north. I come from Michigan, I can point the place out really easily seeing as I can use my hand as the map.” She chuckled, seeing no harm in a little mindless conversation.

Abbadon laughed softly at her gesture and nodded, “That is extremely useful!! Mm, yes I was right. You are a funny one indeed.” She smiled and listened to Katie give details on the café she had mentioned. Abbadon had a rather wistful look in her eyes as she listened further. She would be lying to herself if she said she had zero envy for such a mundane life. The drinks finally arrived with Abbadon ordering something fancy while Katie stuck to a regular Caramel Macchiato.

“Ah, hold on one moment, I need to text my fiancé and tell him I’ll be occupied for a little longer with a new friend.” The brunette woman beamed, shooting a quick text to Pine. 

\---------

 **O’Connor** \- _Soooo I think I just may or may not have made buddies with our main lady._

\---------

Pine’s eyes widened upon seeing this and he furiously tapped away. 

\---------

 **Me** \- _What do you mean by that? You’re not in trouble are you?_

**O’Connor** \- _No! I accidentally made friends with her. Don’t worry, I’m not spilling anything. She seems really genuine though. Makes me feel bad she’s on the wrong side of the law. Anyways, I’ll let you in on more later._

\----------

“Fuck.” Jonathan bit his lip and ran a hand over his face. At first, he was going to call her on one of the worst rookie offenses she made, but this gave him an idea. He had to get on Roper's good side, and that was a rookie move he did so why not let her get on their target's good side. Perhaps, Abbadon would even slip up about her true work. 

“Sorry about that, Fiancé’s worried and all. He thinks we aren’t going to make it to the gala on time tonight if I keep chatting.” She saw Abbadon smile widely and clasp her hands together.

“Why my dear! I hadn’t the faintest idea you were attending, oh how exciting!! Today just got better.” she spoke truthfully, taking a sip of her coffee. “I am ever so curious as to what you will be wearing. I can see the vixen in you.” She winked and took another sip.

This caused Katie to blush hard and chuckle, “Thank you! You’re stunning as well, Abbey. Honestly, you’d make anything look good.” Both women chortled at the image and carried on about the Gala.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret.” Abbadon lowered her voice, “Some of the artwork that is being shown tonight is fraudulent. Now, being in the business I am something like that shouldn’t bother me. Oh but it does.” She rolled her eyes, giving a huff. “You see, I have an eye for the arts and I do not care how much the fake may resemble the actual piece! I could never steal art. Not for money or for false identity. Art is meant to be admired and inspire great minds. I am a painter myself in my downtime.” She pulled her phone out and showed Katie a few pieces of hers. Either she was the best bullshitter Katie had ever met, or she was truly talented. All her doubts were proven wrong as there was a picture of Abbadon posing by a work of hers with a little boy. She smiled fondly at the picture, sighing. “My little Nikolai. He is my greatest work of art and my business trips have me missing him so. His birthday is coming up soon and it breaks my heart that I cannot be there for him.” her voice saddened.

This was something Katie was sure of that Abbadon wasn’t lying about. “I’m sorry to hear that.” She placed a comforting hand on the other woman’s and smiled. “How old will he be turning?”

At this question, Abbadon perked up again and smiled softly, “He will be ten! He is turning the double digits. Ohhh I remember when he was but a tiny peanut.” She wistfully reminisced fondly over her baby boy. “He was the fattest little chunk, so many rolls! But he was so precious. He will always be precious to me. I call him each night to tell him he means the world to me and we recite a tale my grandmother told me growing up. It is of love and that no matter what, the stars will shine for us.” She gave Katie’s hand a squeeze back. 

“That’s beautiful, Abbey. Truly. It makes me think if I want kids one day or not.” She bit her lip, looking to the side. What would her life be if she ever had children? Katie hadn’t ever really thought about it as Travis had ruined any sort of blossoming question leading to that reality. However, now it was a different story with Pine helping her overcome her fears and finally break the shell she had hidden behind for so long.

“I keep all of his drawings too and make sure each time he draws, he sends me a picture if I am away.” She showed Katie a file of the drawings.

“Well he certainly takes after his mother in regards to talent! This is incredible. I could never draw anything like this.” She saw Abbadon give a sad expression.

“Why Natasha, of course you could. We all start from some place, do we not? All you have to do is just pick up a brush and let your imagination go wild. My grandfather always told me that when I was down. I tell my son the same thing and the more he draws or paints, the more his talent blooms. Do not be so hard on yourself, you are young and have plenty of time!” She gave Katie’s hand a firm pat and then released it. “Oh! I’ve had so much fun I’ve forgotten to check the time. It’s nearly noon. You simply must let me have a look at you when you arrive! Thank you so much for this, Natasha. Your heart is true.” She smiled sadly at Katie before getting up and bidding her farewell. The sad expression remained on Abbadon’s face as she made her way back to her room. How she wished she had a life like Katie’s, so mundane and relaxed. She would spend every waking moment with Nikolai painting all that they would ever dream of in the remote hills of France. There, she wouldn’t be a part of this wretched family and would start life new. No more controlling brother, abusive husband who never loved her, and cursed family lineage. 

A feeling in Katie’s gut told her that Abbadon wasn’t as evil as the papers led her out to be. She was true to her word in loving life and the artistic side of it. “I hope you get to see your son soon, Abbey.” She said under her breath before getting up and making her way back to the suite. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There wasn’t much to tell Jonathan about Abbadon, except for the fact that she didn’t seem like she even wanted to be a part of whatever organization she was in. While slightly disappointed, Jonathan went with her information and hoped they would snag a lead at the gala. 

Checking his watch, Pine tapped his foot as it was almost 4:15. He knew the building holding the event was only a ten minute drive, but it didn’t help his nerves. For his attire, Jonathan donned a simple black suit without a tie and his button down popped open, exposing a bit of his chest hair. His hair was slicked back and face freshly shaved, leaving no stubble.

“Sorry! I know I’m not the best, but I had to remember how to put on makeup!!” Katie called from behind the bathroom door, feeling her cheeks heat up once she got a good look at herself in the mirror. The red mermaid shaped dress was close fit and complimented her curves in all the right ways. Her face was made up perfectly as she carefully contoured and shaped her face. She gave herself a vixen-like look as Abbadon had mentioned earlier, and didn’t turn out hooker like at all. Her brows were plucked and shaped accordingly and lashes full and long. A highlighter made her cheekbones shine and she even placed some on her collarbone. To top it off, she adorned a seductive red shade to her pouty, kissable lips. Her short hair had been straightened to a pin with some of her bangs dusting over her brow. Thankfully, she had brought a pair of gold dangling earrings that were delicate enough just to add to her look. The only thing she hated was the ampleness of her bust and how the dress seemed to make her breasts show off. 

She cracked the door open, seeing that Jonathan had his back facing her. Quietly, she slipped out of the bathroom and turned the light off. “‘Kay.” She muttered and saw Jonathan’s body turn around and come to a complete stop.

Any breath that Pine had left in his lungs subsequently left upon seeing her. His lips parted and he struggled to find the words to say as he was floored by how elegant the brunette appeared. Her hair sort of reminded him a little of his past lover Jed Marshall’s, which warmed his heart.

“What? Do I look bad?” Her face dropped and she grimaced, panic settling in.

“No! N-No. You-” Jonathan covered his mouth, still taking her in and basking in her beautiful form. “You look amazing. Sorry- It’s just… Wow.” He nodded, shyly glancing away and chuckling to himself.

“You’re not too bad yourself.” She retorted, her cheeks sporting a similar shade.

After a few more awkward moments, Pine cleared his throat and could not stop himself stealing glances. She was truly more beautiful than she had initially led on when they first met. What a steal she was, such a vixen hiding underneath the cutesy shy young woman. “I don’t suggest taking phones, so we will have to find a common meeting ground should either of us get lost.” Jonathan spoke, setting his phone in his suitcase, only taking with him his wallet and fake ID.

“G-Good idea.” Katie replied quietly, taking her phone out of the small clutch that came along with the dress. 

“Katie.” Jonathan’s voice was quiet speaking her real name. 

Her green eyes, now standing out more than ever from her makeup, flitted up to his blue gaze. 

“I mean it. You’re stunning.” 

His continued compliment made the brunette feel special, wanted… Something she never thought she would ever feel again. 

She gave him a smile and took his hand as he held it out to her. “I’m glad I have such a beautiful woman on my arm… And hey, those heels made you a bit taller!” He jeered, earning an elbow to the ribs and a snort.

“Jerk.” She laughed, making her way out of the suite with Pine hand in hand. 

Jonathan had meant every word he said about her look for that evening. To him, Katie looked like a sacred goddess of sorts and the longer he gazed upon her form, the more he felt himself falling into dangerous territory. He absolutely could not let himself fall in love with her as it would only put the two in danger. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just as Angela had promised, the ride was relatively short and the two were at the gala in no time. Jonathan felt Katie tense up at the sight of all the people inside and cautiously wrapped an arm around her waist. Her response to his gesture was to actually grab onto him and get closer. “It’ll be ok, I won’t let anyone touch you in ways you don’t want them to.” He whispered into her ear, giving her side a squeeze.

Katie didn’t want to let go of Pine as she felt safe with him and he smelled incredibly good, even with the hint of smoke. “S-Steven?” She stuttered a bit as she was thinking of saying his actual name. Pine turned to her, raising a brow as he handed the guard their ticket and guided Katie over to their designated table. “I would like to dance with you at some point. If you’re ok with that.” Her lips were graced with a soft smile.

“I’d love nothing more.” He admitted truthfully, placing a kiss to her hand.

The young woman’s heart raced from his action and she wondered what his lips would feel like against her own… 

“Natasha!!” A familiar voice called. 

The two looked up to see Abbadon scuttle over while in a gorgeous black and gold gown, a man with similar features to the woman following in short. 

“Abbey!” Katie got up, going over to Abbadon and giving her a hug. 

“I was right!! I was absolutely right!! You are a catch! Just look at you! Red is your color, my dear!! Oh you look like the most beautiful rose.” Abbadon clasped her gloved hands together in delight. Her smile faded as she snapped her fingers, “How rude of me! Danny, this is my new friend Natasha. I met her in the lobby today and we had the most wonderful time over coffee. Natasha, this is my older brother Daniel.” She nodded at her with a smile, noticing Jonathan lingering close behind. Her eyes narrowed slightly as this man was handsome yet oddly familiar.

Katie held out her hand to Daniel only to have him snatch it and swiftly place a kiss to the back, “The pleasure is mine. My sister has such a wonderful taste in finding the most beautiful of friends.” His amber eyes gleamed with hidden intentions.

Katie swallowed hard and her nerves began to act up from the sudden gesture. “It’s an h-honor, Daniel.” She froze up as the strange man continued to hold her hand.

“Please, call me Dan-” 

Jonathan cleared his throat, placing a comforting hand around Katie’s waist and smiled at Daniel.

“This must be your fiancé you told me about!! My, my…” Abbadon winked at Katie and batted her eyelashes at Pine.

“Y-Yes! Yes this is my fiancé. He proposed last m-month in my hometown.” She lied through her teeth and placed her own hand over Pine’s lacing her fingers with his out of a need of comfort.

Daniel did not look the least bit amused at this and huffed, adjusting his tie when he stopped, noticing what his sister saw earlier and scratched his beard. “Sorry to cut things short, but I need to discuss something with my sister. I do hope we cross paths again, Ms. Natasha.” He gave the brunette one last wicked smirk before grabbing Abbadon’s arm and muttering angrily in their native tongue to her.

Katie watched as Abbadon was yanked away rather brashly from them. “Are you alright?” Pine gently turned Katie and looked at her in worry. She nodded and gave Pine’s hand a pat, taking a deep breath and calming down. “I-I doubt we’re gonna get anything right now, so we can just enjoy ourselves yeah?” She looked hopeful and much to his dismay, Pine agreed.

“Yeah. I’m a bit famished anyways so we might as well get something to eat while we’re ahead.” He relaxed a bit more and sat down at their table. Once they had placed their order, Jonathan looked at the brochure of items that were being auctioned.

“She did tell me one thing.” Katie took a drink of water before continuing. “She said half of the paintings are fakes and was very adamant about how even she wouldn’t be so low as to steal a painting. She likes art a lot.” She took another drink.

Pine nodded and continued to skim the items, looking for anything that could possibly stand out as suspicious. 

One thing that did stand out however, was the name of the family hosting the gala printed on the back. Pine had seen them before during his time under Roper and just passed them to be another crime involved family. Whatever the case was, they had seen Jonathan as well and now the game would be a bit more tricky. If he was spotted, he would be accused as the man that framed Roper and ruined any chance at bringing Abbadon down. His eyes scanned the crowd, searching for the faces of the family when he soon spotted them in the very back where Daniel and Abbadon were. The latter of the two actually did not seem to be having a good time and looked rather miserable. Perhaps Katie’s intuition was plausible, but he couldn’t afford to be relying on her heartfelt feelings when the supposed leader of the crimes was right within eyeshot. Making a mental note, Jonathan turned back to face a curious Katie who looked around at the surroundings, awed by some of the structure. Their food was shortly brought to their table and was obviously exquisite but also too small in proportion. This wasn’t some sort of fancy dinner party anyhow. Jonathan took a swig of his whiskey and smacked his lips before turning his attention to Katie, “Do you still want to dance?” He gave her a soft smile.

The brunette gleefully nodded and took his hand as he led them both to the dancefloor. 

Naturally, the song choices were classical and slow paced for those like Katie with more restricted dresses. One of Pine’s large hands rested upon the small of the young woman’s back but looking at her to make certain she was ok with it. She gave him the go ahead and blushed as she placed her hand in his free one. Within minutes, the two became lost in each other's eyes as they danced. They moved gracefully on the floor and seemed to have a fire ignite within them both. Others looked at the pair with a certain degree of envy or admiration at how unified they seemed. Jonathan spun Katie around, pulling her close to his chest just as the song ended and gave a boyish smile. “Not bad. Of course, I assume Cameron forced you to go to military balls.” He winked and caused Katie to giggle and blush.

“Yeah, he might have done that a time or two.” She bit her bottom lip, noticing that her hands were still resting upon his chest and his arm wrapped around her frame.

Something inside of Pine told him to lean in and kiss the girl as he was ever so curious to how her lips felt. His blue eyes glanced down at her lips then back to her face with her eyes half lidded. Katie’s heart began to beat fast, her breaths shaky with anticipation as she wanted him to do what he was thinking. She wanted him to do it more than anything and only him. What the hell was wrong with her? One minute she hates his guts and now… Now she’s smitten. Her heart stops as she feels one of Jonathan's hands come up to cup her face, his eyes still locked with hers as he leaned forth. Their lips were inches from sealing their curiosity-

Before Pine can go through with his plan, the music starts up again and his face falls. This song is well known for partner exchanges and apparently Katie knows of it too. “Stay calm and breathe-” He quickly tells her before they are separated and onto the new dance. Much to his luck, Pine’s partner happens to be Abbadon who is not looking very amused.

“Hm. I wonder what one of Roper’s men is doing here? It would not possibly be to rat my family out would it?” She spoke lowly, her gaze full of venom.

Jonathan grit his teeth and tightened his grip on her waist.

“That easy? Tsk, some agent you are.” Her words caused his grip to loosen and suddenly be pulled down so she could whisper in his ear. “It is not me you want, Birch… Or should I say, _Pine_? Do not play stupid with me, I know exactly who you are and what you’re here for.” She suddenly shoved something into Pine’s blazer. “It is my brother that you want. I never wanted any part of this family business! The only reason I am telling you is because he is keeping my son hostage.” Jonathan’s heartbroken to hear her words and his mind immediately thought of Jed. “He knows that I am faking my fidelity and it is only a matter of time before he kills me. Remember these names, quickly! Belladonna, Poppy, Bloodroot, Daphne and Wisteria. You already know my branch, Wolfsbane. Keep your friend close, Pine. Her heart is true.” Her grip released and tears shimmered in her eyes. “Please. Save my boy.” She whispered before moving onto the next person. 

Abbadon’s words shook him to the core and he had no idea that there were four other branches within the organization. As it turned out, he didn’t need to look for a head start at all as Abbadon was a double agent and just wanted to live a life free of crime and be with her son. Katie was right and it made him feel bad for initially judging her. 

“ _Mmm_ , we meet again, little rose.” Daniel’s accented voice sent a chill down Katie’s spine as she felt his fingers dig into her hip.

She yelped softly at his touch as she was pulled to his body tightly. Her green eyes were wide with fear as she was forced to dance with Abbadon’s creep of a brother. Alarms were blaring in her mind but her past trauma would not allow her to do anything further but comply with Daniel’s touch.

“What happened to the vixen my sister told me about earlier?” He whispered into her ear, his scratchy beard tickling her skin. “It seems that we have a shy little mouse instead. Mm, no matter. You are still very beautiful μικρό ποντίκι.” 

Daniel selfishly shoved the next person in line to dance with Katie.

“Please.” She felt her voice fail her as tears burned her eyes, fear taking it’s hold.

Daniel mock cooed to the young woman, wiping a tear from her face. “Tears do not suit you, μικρό ποντίκι. At least, not right now they do not. Perhaps they are better suited when I have you screaming, begging for your lover's life as I hold it in the palm of my hand.” He flipped her around, his hand travelling up her body and coping an unconsented feel of her breast.

Katie felt lightheaded, her breathing choppy and anxiety clouding her mind.

“Mmm yes. Such a beautiful rose you are, my dear Natasha~ If that is your real name of course. I wonder if you are aware of Steven’s true identity? We know why you are here.” His fingers came around her throat and his lips placed a kiss upon her bare shoulder.

The young woman let out a silent sob, her body trembling hard and breathing hard.

“Shh, shh, shh… Fear not. You are too pretty to waste, μικρό ποντίκι. Oh no, I will not have you be a prostitute. I’ll make you one of my wives.” He nipped at her ear, his hand grabbing a handful of her breast again. "Yes, you will make such a fine wife. So young and full of life- Ah, full of life." the hand that was groping her moved down over her belly and pressed hard into her. "I'll have you breed me a few bastards. I need as many heirs as I can get for the family business." He dug the heel of his palm over her womb and chuckled at her gagging from discomfort. 

All Katie could think about was Jonathan and how badly she wanted him to come to her rescue. She was rendered useless by her crippling despair from this man running his hands along her body. She knew how to fight back, but not in a situation like this where old memories surfaced. Katie shut her eyes tightly and whimpered as she felt Daniel press his groin and obvious erection into her backside. “I thought you would have squealed by now. What an obedient mouse. Maybe I don’t have to kill Pine tonight but I will leave you with something to remind you of what happens if you continue your pursuit. He suddenly whipped out a pocket knife and sliced down Katie’s inner forearm, causing her to yelp.

Jonathan’s head whipped around at the sound of her yelp over the loud music and he stopped dancing with his now rather upset partner. “Bastard.” He growled as he saw Daniel firmly holding Katie against his body and began to shove through the dancing crowd. 

“Aww looks like our fun here is over for the night.” He put the stem of Belladonna berries he had into his pocket before he could squeeze the juice into the wound he gave Katie. “Rest assured, I am most positive we will meet again my rose.” He chuckled darkly and slithered away into the darkness, leaving Katie stunned and having the absolute worst panic attack she has had in a long time.

Everything was spinning and she couldn’t tell what the hell was happening as hands grabbed her. Just as she was about to scream, Jonathan’s familiar scent entered her nostrils and she leaned forward, hugging him tightly and sobbing on his chest.

Pine stared down at the hysterical girl that clung to him tightly. He had enough evidence to present to Angela tonight, right now he needed to get Katie the hell out of here. “Hang onto me, sweetheart.” He whispered, hoisting her bridal style into his arms and rushed through the massive ballroom to get out. 

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…” Daniel pulled out a remote, pressing the button on it and setting off fire alarms. The family that had confirmed Daniel’s suspicion earlier were suddenly ambushed with the women and children’s vision being cut off with bags. Denizens of the party began to scream in terror as gunfire went off and finally, an explosion that left the men of the family dead.

Abbadon glared hatefully at her brother, makeup running down her face from tears and water from the emergency sprinklers. "You are sick." she spat and stormed past him, knowing that there was absolutely nothing she could do to help that poor family. 

Outside, Jonathan turned on his heel as he heard the awful sound of the explosion followed by horrified and gut wrenching screams. There was nothing more he could do at that point but get back to the hotel, check them out and find somewhere else to stay. It was too dangerous to be in the same vicinity as Daniel. “Fuck this-” Pine muttered and set Katie down gently, flagging a car down before pulling his gun out and threatening the driver to get out. He did not have time to continue risking his and Katie’s lives and hijacked the car. With the young woman resting in the back as she had passed out, Jonathan sped back to the Metropol as fast as the car would let him. In sheer dumb luck, he had not caught any officers attention and parked the car sloppily in the parking lot. “Shh, it’s alright. I’ve got you.” He whispered to a stirring Katie who made panicked noises. Once she realized who it was, her arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her face into his blazer. “We’re leaving here tonight.” He muttered as he entered the lobby, rushing to get to the elevator. A few people looked up from their activities and began to murmur at what could be going on. A sense of unease laced into Pine’s gut as he finally got into the elevator and anxiously waited for their floor. It felt like forever until he finally reached the room.

“Jonathan-” Katie whimpered as he set her down, tears coming back and broken sobs wracking her body.

The dark blonde haired man furiously packed their belongings as best as he could and turned back to the sobbing woman. His heart sank at how scared she was and how defenseless she appeared. “Kate..” He spoke her other nickname softly and walked over to her, hugging her tightly, tears of his own burning beneath his eyelids. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, I promise. We’re getting out of here right now but I need you to stand up and walk, can you do that?” He released her but kept his hands on her cold arms, gently rubbing them up and down. Pine removed his blazer and noticed the cut on her arm that Daniel had given her. He would have to deal with that later as he helped Katie put his blazer on her to give her some warmth. He took her heels off, shoving them into her bag and helped her stand. “I promise you, I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Without thinking, Jonathan pulled her forward and kissed the top of her head before giving a once over to make sure he grabbed everything. 

The pair tried to look inconspicuous while rushing out of their suite and making a detour out of the back. Too many people would be witness to seeing them rush out like that and it would only add to their woes. Finally, they reached the car Jonathan had stolen and hastily packed their belongings. With a quick hot wiring, Jonathan stepped on the gas and peeled out of the parking lot with the tires squealing. A sense of relative safeness came over them as they sped off into the night in search of a place to rest. Unfortunately, it seemed their luck ran short and would have to spend the night in the car. Jonathan’s eyes peeled out for a hidden area he could park and eventually spotted a patch of thick woods as their temporary haven for the night. “We’ll give Angela a call tomorrow and ask what to do next as I frankly don’t have a fucking clue. What matters to me right now is your safety.” Jonathan pushed Katie’s bangs out of her eyes and gave her a sympathetic expression. She nodded and proceeded to climb into the back with some difficulty due to her dress but managed.

“J-Jonathan?” She spoke quietly. Pine turned his gaze to her, nodding up as a signal he heard. “Can you hold me? Like you did this morning?” her voice was shaky again as she sought comfort.

Jonathan nodded and turned the car off before climbing into the back. They both knew it was a tight squeeze, but didn’t care at the moment. Katie found herself laying on Jonathan’s chest instead and she closed her eyes, nuzzling against him. “I swear to you, I will never let anything like that happen to you again. We’re in this together now and I’m not about to break my promise.” Jonathan said before wrapping his arms around the young woman and letting sleep take him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daniel calls Katie "little mouse" in Greek


	5. Carolina Rose & Begonia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decisions will be made but what are the outcomes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !! There is a bit of a scene at the end involving child abuse but it is brief !! 
> 
> Please know, I will NEVER write out full graphic scenes of children being hurt / in fatal danger. It is just a part of the story as to why it is in here.

Pine was the first to wake at the crack of a very chilly dawn. Sleep had come to him in short bursts throughout the night as he became paranoid of being discovered. He glanced at the young woman sleeping on top of him, her arms tucked tightly to herself while using his blazer as a sort of blanket. His blazer. That's right, Abbadon had slipped something into the pocket. Carefully as he could, Pine reached into the pocket that held whatever had been shoved into it. The item she had given him was a piece of paper and a thumb drive nestled inside. When he separated the two, the paper contained numbers that appeared to be coordinates of some type. Jonathan crossed his fingers that the flash drive contained information on the gangs to help permanently shut them down. While this was a bit of relief, Pine worried about getting him and Katie back to safety. Gently, he felt for the brunette's shoulder and gave it a slight shake. "Katie. Hey, wake up little girl.” 

The American woman inhaled sharply and jolted upright, calming down once she saw who called her. Katie gave a small whine and almost rubbed her eyes before remembering she still had makeup residue. The last thing she needed was an eye infection. She then narrowed her mascara caked eyes at Jonathan and frowned, “Did you just call me  _ little girl? _ ” She was not amused by his little nickname. If it were not so blisteringly cold out, she would have given him a punch to the arm. 

Pine shrugged and clicked his tongue, “Well I had to get you up somehow. If that does cross a line, I do apologize.” He quickly added, still very much aware of her discomfort. Jonathan generally did want to know what was ok and what was not. He wanted to respect her as she definitely had been through a lot given how she reacted to men and certain touches. If she could get as comfortable with him as possible, nothing would make Pine happier than to earn her 100% trust. 

She was slightly taken aback by the additional comment. Pine did demonstrate his concern and corrected his mistakes before, but it was still so foreign to the young woman. His consideration made her blush and turn her gaze away before shivering and pulling the blazer tighter to her body, teeth chattering. “I-It’s whatever. All I’m worried about right now is how fucking cold it is!! Jesus Christ, you’d think that we drove up into Siberia!!” She squirmed and winced from the cut on her arm from last night. Thankfully, the cut wasn’t too deep and had scabbed over but it still stung nonetheless. 

Jonathan chuckled at her small rant and found his eyes glued to the small view of Katie’s collarbone that wasn’t hidden by his blazer. “I doubt that you want to carry on in your dress while we make our way back, so feel free to change. Though, it’s been an awful long time since I’ve had a nice show so I wouldn’t mind terribly if you didn’t care that I watch.” He gave her a dirty smirk, allowing his now very present hard on to think for him. Blue eyes, now darkened from arousal, flicked back up to meet gorgeous greens. It appeared she wasn’t at all uncomfortable with that sort of comment and it only had Pine thinking dirtier thoughts. It had been too long since he last got laid and even though this was not an appropriate time to be thinking about it, he couldn’t help it. 

Full dark pink lips parted as Katie went to retort back but found herself fumbling for the right words. Strangled noises came from her throat for a moment before she inhaled deeply and frowned, turning her back on Pine and blushing deeply. “You’re stupid, Pine.” She muttered and slid her hand up, biting a nail as she did ponder for a moment about doing it. Katie mentally smacked herself and wanted to be disgusted, even offended by his comment; but she found she couldn’t. This man had started to bring out the feelings she once buried deep within the recesses of her mind, wanting to forget them. Her thighs rubbed together slightly as a small fire lit within her and reminded her of carnal desires she once knew. These wanton urges were coming back at a speed that her brain could not process and they felt  _ so good. _

“I’d wager that you want to with how you looked at me last night when we danced. You haven’t given me any indication that you are  _ against _ the idea.” Pine’s voice became low with equal desire. 

A shudder of pleasure crawled up Katie’s back at the sound of how deep Jonathan’s voice had gotten. He sounded so sinfully delicious and ready to pounce, to take what she would gladly give him. The brunette swallowed hard and turned her nose up, refusing to give in to the ferocious touch starved hunger within. It had been far too long since she felt the caress of another in the most intimate of ways. Katie knew deep down if she granted Pine the permission, he would ruin her. There would be no coming back from how he touched her and took her deep into the throes of passion. She couldn’t do it; they were only meant to be partners assigned to the mission and nothing more. Huffing, she shoved the car door open and welcomed the chill of morning to hit her now flushed face. “So what is it? Biology? Lack of blood flow in the brain having it all go down to your dick?” She flashed a smirk as she walked around to the trunk. 

Jonathan snorted at her teasing and exited the car himself, eyes still darkened with primal instinct. “How thoughtful of you to be concerned about my cock. I can assure you that it is past the point of the “rise to greet the new day” phase.” He bit his lip and chortled at his own joke, seeing her pupils dilate as he stood next to her as he opened the trunk. Their eyes were kept locked on each other as Jonathan pulled the suitcases out. The dark blonde haired man was trying like hell to read the young woman, longing for her to just say that she wanted him already. He sized himself up, pushing his shoulders back a little to appear more masculine and powerful. Clearly it was working as Katie didn’t back away but rather glanced up and down with a curious look in her now slightly darkened green eyes. He noticed that her shoulders shifted and his blazer fell off from her shoulders, he had to bite a growl back. 

Two could play this game, Katie thought to herself and turned around slowly with her back partially exposed to him. “I need some help unzipping this, please.” she made sure to turn her head and keep her gaze back on him. The cool temperature of the morning seemed to vanish as both agents felt warm from their teasing. “Oh and I’m not concerned about your  _ cock _ , I’m just simply reiterating what you told me yesterday morning when I woke up to something long, hard and very warm pressing against me. If I didn’t know any better about your “biology” then I’d be flattered, but only if it’s you.” She pressed her lips together and looked forward, chastising herself inside for how wickedly amorous she sounded. Katie let out a slight gasp as she felt Pine’s fingers make contact with her skin and held back a moan. She felt him toy with the zipper on the back of her dress and slowly pull it down, his breath hot on her neck. 

“Is that so?” He groaned, gently inhaling the pleasant scent of her skin and gently pressing his body against her. To his surprise, he noticed that she backed up a little into him and mimicked his action, ever so slightly moving her hips. Jonathan felt his cock ache in the confines of his trousers and he pushed his erection against her ass a little harder. The dress dropped to the frosty grass on the ground, leaving Katie in nothing but a pair of panties. Pine’s breath hitched as he got a generous view of her bare breasts, watching her nipples harden from the cold. His mouth watered from all the filthy thoughts he wanted to do to her. “Look at you exposing yourself like this to me.” He pressed his nose into her hair and shut his eyes tightly as he continued to ever so subtly grind into her backside. Pine knew this was effecting Katie as he could hear her panting softly and fighting the urge to give in. He decided to take it a little further, ghosting his hands up the curves of her torso but never giving her the pleasure of his touch. It took every ounce of restraint in Pine not to just slam her against the car and fuck her right then and there. He knew better than that as his intuition was telling him she wasn’t ready for that or if she would ever be comfortable with that. 

This was just as hard for Katie was it was for Jonathan. She leaned her head back against his chest and snaked her arms around his neck, watching his hands ghost over her breasts. Her pussy throbbed with drastic urgency to be touched and given attention. “We shouldn’t be doing this.” She moaned softly as she felt Jonathan’s cool, rough hands finally make contact with her fiery skin. The brunette felt them caress the flesh of her hips, belly, ribs but never touching where she wanted it most. She grinded against him a little harder and felt his cock rub against her, his breathing uneven in her ear. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw Jonathan’s long fingers dip beneath the elastic of her panties and she spread her legs a little wider. She almost growled as he denied her that bliss in favor of traveling to her inner thigh. He was  _ so  _ close to where she wanted him to touch her, “D-Daddy.” her moan was absolutely  _ shameless.  _

“Tell me to stop.” Jonathan inhaled sharply, his hormones out of control and hips beginning to move a little faster. “Katie tell me to stop, please.” His lips hovered above the spot behind her ear. “Do not let me make a mistake, I do not want to hurt you or do something the both of us will regret.” His fingers itched to feel her undoubtedly wet cunt. Hurting Katie was something that Jonathan wouldn’t be able to live with. He would live in endless guilt and shame if he ever did anything to this girl to hurt her or put her in harm's way. 

She knew that he was right and though she wanted to continue with where this would take them; they couldn’t. The young woman released her arms from around his neck and covered her chest, walking away. Jonathan’s consideration would never fail to warm her heart as she saw he truly did care. Katie couldn’t help but wonder what sort of life she would live if she and Pine were together, deep in love. “Could you turn around?” She sighed, the cold replacing the pleasant warmth from their literal dry humping. 

“Yeah. I’ll be back alright? Just- When you’re finished dressing stay in the car.” He spoke quickly and walked rather fast to some thick brush. There was no way that he could go on with how hard he was. Once he was sure he was far away enough, Pine released his cock from his briefs and trousers. The cool air hitting the hot skin of his throbbing erection caused him to moan softly. He hastily got to work, watching his hand slide up and down while thinking of Katie. “Fuck.” His head fell back against a tree as he imagined her on her knees, her luscious lips wrapped around his cock and cheeks hollowed. Oh he did wonder how her throat would feel with his length sliding down it while she let him fuck her mouth. “Shit, Kate-” He grit his teeth, squeezing his hand around his cock and panting hard. Thankfully, he was close to finishing soon and it took little imagination for him to orgasm. He so utterly wanted to hear her moans spill from those sinful lips of hers but more than anything, he wanted to hear her say what she let slip earlier; daddy. “Oh fuck! O-Oh fuck.” His hips bucked forward as his orgasm ruptured through his body, ropes of his seed spilling onto the forest foliage beneath him. “Fuck.” He opened his eyes and licked his lips to soothe the ache of how chapped they were. Pine took a moment to recollect himself from his climax, taking in the sounds of the birds and wind rustling through the trees. “Kate, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t think of you that way.” He muttered under his breath, putting his softened member away and running his clean hand through his hair. This was just brilliant. First he had guilt over Cameron’s death and now it was over his growing feelings for his late friend’s little sister. This needed to end and soon, the possibility of Katie getting hurt would destroy Jonathan; falling in love with her would be his greatest mistake. 

It had been a good 15 minutes since Pine had left and only now did Katie see him return from the woods looking more distraught than relieved. Remorse suddenly pooled in the young woman’s stomach upon closer inspection. Was it something she had done? She sank into the front seat, knees up on the dashboard and now dressed in something more comfortable. Katie opted for her go to apparel of skinny jeans, jacket, sneakers, t-shirt and oversized hoodie. While she felt more comfortable, she missed the feeling of Pine’s arms wrapped around her. They made her feel safe and at home, something Travis could never live up to. She missed how right that Jonathan’s hands felt holding hers, how he looked at her like she was the most important thing in the world. “I’m so stupid!” She whispered under her breath, smacking her forehead at these intrusive thoughts. Katelyn Selene O’Connor couldn’t possibly be falling in love with Jonathan Pine, could she? Whatever the case was, some part of her knew that it was too late and would result in either unresolved tension or heartbreak. 

“Sorry about that. I had some difficulty getting our luggage in the trunk.” Jonathan slid inside of the car, now dressed casually and glanced over at the brunette, noticing a solemn expression on her face. He shook his head, feeling even worse at what he was going to tell her while hastily hotwiring the car. Soon enough, they were on the road and searching for the exit that would have them back on track to the train. Pine deduced that with the note and thumb drive in hand, they had collected enough evidence for the authorities to handle at this point. Taking a deep breath, Jonathan promptly made his decision and began to speak. “Once we get back to England, you need to leave.” His grip on the wheel tightened as he saw her sit up abruptly and stare at him as if he was insane. 

Katie shook her head, unable to process what she had just heard. “Excuse me? Since when are you the boss of me? This case isn’t solved yet! We still have a lot of work to do, Pine.” anger and a sense of betrayal began to bubble inside of the brunette. 

“NO!” his voice came out more harsh than he intended and he regretfully ate his words. It was too late to turn back, “No. We have enough evidence to bring the organization down, I’m positive. That thumb drive Abbadon slipped into my pocket should let the authorities take it from here and you can return home.” His knuckles turned white and nostrils flared. 

The American woman could not believe what she was hearing come from this man, angry tears began to blind her vision. “I-Is this because of what we did?! What we almost did?!” Her lower lip quivered, torn gaze never leaving him. “Jonathan you are being fucking ridiculous!! One minute we’re fine and the next you act like you hate my guts!! I don’t underst-” she wasn’t given time to finish as she saw anger light up in Pine’s blue eyes. 

“IT’S BECAUSE YOU’LL GET US BOTH KILLED!!” Pine slammed on the breaks and pulled over, his heart screaming at him to stop now. “You’re just a rookie and have barely scraped the bottom of the barrel of what it means to be in this business!! Sometimes you won’t have the chance to get close to your enemy and they will read you like an open book! They will play with you until they have you wrapped around their finger and by then it’ll be too late!! Why can’t you realize that this isn’t some fictional movie!? This is real life, Katie!! If you wanted something more fitting for your fantasy, then maybe becoming an author of romance novels would have been better suited for you!! This is not a fucking game!! What happened between us, means nothing to me.” His chest rose with deep, hurt breaths. “The only thing I am glad about is that I helped you with your little issue and I was able to come to some degree of peace with your brother’s death.” He turned away, not meaning any of what he said. He had lost Sophie and almost lost Jed, he was not about to lose another woman that meant a damn to him. 

Katie’s mouth hung open in shock and tears slid down her cheeks, soft sobs coursing through her. “You could have just fucking told me this from the start. I take back everything I’ve ever said. You’re a fucking asshole Jonathan Pine.” She squirmed in her seat and climbed into the back, not wanting to be anywhere near him as he had broken her heart. 

Once they reached the train station, Jonathan saw Katie take a different cart and vanish. Part of him felt responsible to go and watch after her, but he decided against it and entered the cart that Katie didn’t. At least she wouldn’t get hurt now and pursue a normal life, Jonathan thought to himself. She would be happier not living a life of danger. Maybe she’d even overcome her fear completely and get married, settle down, have a kid… Something Jonathan knew would never be within his reach. He rested his head against the rest of his seat and closed his eyes as the train began it’s 2 day journey back to London. “All that matters is that she will be safe.” was the last thing he mumbled to himself before falling into a dreamless sleep. 

Abbadon hit the carpeted floor of her hotel suite, looking up at her brother with a beaten face. “I told you- I gave him  _ nothing _ .” She panted, shutting her eyes tightly. 

A cry of pain erupted from the defenseless woman as Daniel struck her with a whip he had brought. “That’s funny of you to say considering multiple people saw you shove something into that spies pocket!! You must really want sweet Nikolai to suffer, don’t you?” He grinned, pulling his phone out and swiping up. “It’s me. Pull up live footage of the boy.” Daniel spoke into the phone and motioned his bodyguards to show his sister a tablet that had a recording of what was going on in a damp, dark cell. 

“MY LITTLE BOY!! NIKOLAI!! MY NIKOLAI!! OH MY BABY!! NO!! LEAVE MY BABY ALONE!! PLEASE!!” Abbadon shrieked in hysterics as she was forced to see her son being beaten with a cane, over and over. His screams tore her heart in two, his begging and pleas for her making it all the more worse. “DANIEL STOP THIS!! THAT IS MY SON!! YOUR NEPHEW!! DANIEL HASAPIS YOU MONSTER, LISTEN TO ME!!” Abbadon pushed herself up off the ground as best as she could and sunk her nails into her brother’s arm. “LEAVE MY BABY ALONE-” She was struck across the face and fell back to the floor with Daniel hovering above her. 

  
The auburn haired man nodded for his guards to turn the tablet off. He reached down and grabbed Abbadon by the throat, lifting her from the floor. “Now there are one of two things that will happen.” He growled, his malicious amber eyes boring into her soul. “One, you be the good little sister and leader of Wolfsbane you are and tell me the truth of what you gave Pine. Two, should you decide to continue your little game, Nikolai will stop receiving food and water. I will let him die of starvation and thirst, but this will be  _ your  _ fault.  _ You  _ will be the reasoning for his death and you will live with what you have done until death knocks at your door. Even then, peace will never find you. It’s your choice, Abbadon… What’s it going to be? Will little Nikolai live to see another day or should I cut things short? Do not even think about giving yourself up for him because he will die as soon as you. The clock is ticking, sister.” 


	6. Poppy p.ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pine is struggling with the choice he made, what else could possibly go wrong?!
> 
> pls read the note before continuing adfegaW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALSO!! There is a transgender woman in here that is a bad guy, but please please please please do not read this as that as “I hate trans people”. I don’t hate trans people!!! I myself am non binary and just decided to add this type of character in because trans people don’t often get represented as frankly anything in any sort of way. So if you read it as a negative opinion, please understand that it is most definitely not!! Also, Pine is respectful of ALL women because trans women are women! <3

The familiar and welcoming ambience of London filled Pine's senses as he stepped off the train. He couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that once he gave Angela the thumb drive, he would be back to smaller tasks. A sob took him out of his slightly dazed state as he saw Katie dashing out of his sight, an arm covering her face as she was undoubtedly crying. It was more than too late to apologize at this point and even if he did, Pine's apology wouldn't make a lick of sense. The first thing he would do after dropping the information off was to get wasted. Tonight seemed like a good enough time to choose alcohol as a means to drown out sorrows. Honestly, Jonathan was surprised at how he  _ wasn't  _ an alcoholic at this point. He reached into his pocket and pulled his pack of cigarettes out along with his lighter. Perhaps the nicotine helped to ease some of the pain. 

Having gone through his third stick, Jonathan flicked the butt into the trash and exhaled the remnants of smoke as he made his way to Angela's office. It was awfully quiet going in and something occurred to Pine making him wonder if perhaps Katie already reported in. No, if that were the case then he would have gotten a text of sorts. He already knew his ass would be chewed for not calling back or giving a text to signal they made it safely to London. Pine crossed his fingers that would be the only issue he would be given grief over and  _ not  _ how he treated Katie. 

Angela's lips pursed as she saw her best agent walk in, looking dejected. "What in the absolute FUCK happened?" 

Pine held up his hand, grimacing "I can explain everything-" 

The Director did not give him time to explain as she turned the TV on. A live news report was playing in an area nearby filled with fires and anti-government flags waving in the air. Of course some of the flags had the Poppy flower emblazoned onto the fabric proudly. Angela turned the TV off and turned to face Pine. "So am I to suspect that something went wrong? Because this should not be happening and I should have received news of Abbadon's arrest  _ prior  _ to the riots! Instead, I don’t hear a peep and the woman still walks free!" She shook her head, looking disappointed in Jonathan. 

The agent took a deep breath in and sighed, placing the drive and note on his boss's desk. "It isn't Abbadon who is in charge. She shoved these in my pocket when we attended the gala. She is a single branch of something much bigger and told me to remember these names." He held up his hand, using his fingers to count them down. "Belladonna, Bloodroot, Daphne and Wisteria. We are already aware of Poppy and Wolfsbane. I am hoping what may possibly be on that thumb drive is all the information on the branches that we need to take them down." He placed his hand in his pants pocket and looked at the ground. Some part of him wished that Katie was here to tell of how clever she was at befriending Abbadon. Not only that but how she listened to her heart and managed to convince Pine that Abbadon was not who she said she was. That was her place to tell, not his. 

"Where is Katie?" Angela set the paper and drive down. Her brow became laced with motherly concern and eyes shimmered at Jonathan. "Pine. Where is she?" Her tone turned angry. She knew something was off the minute Jonathan walked in without his assigned partner and she didn't like it one bit. 

Pine shifted uncomfortably, "She's going back to the US. If she's smart enough, I think she's packing her bags right now." 

**_SLAM!!_ **

The impact of Angela's fists on her desk caused everyone in the room to jump. "Damn it, Pine!! What the fuck happened and what did you do!? I do not want any short, bullshit answers so you had better sit your ass down and start talking!! I'm gonna try to give her a call." She huffed at the tall man, fishing her phone from her purse. Her gaze snapped back at Jonathan who just stood there, struggling to find an excuse of sorts. "Well?! Go on then! Maybe I was right, you men are garbage." She noticed Rob look at her in shock and sighed loudly, "Ok you're not garbage, sweetheart. I'm talking about ones who won't fucking give me an answer on what the hell happened to Katelyn O'Connor!!" 

"ALRIGHT!! I GET IT!!" Jonathan shouted from pent up guilt. "I-I… I told her to leave because I am afraid to lose her. Having a constant physical reminder of Cameron O'Connor and what happened to him at my damn side can do a real number. The last fucking thing I wanted was to start feeling something for her, come to terms with the past, earn her trust and forgiveness, only to have her killed!!" His tears that had built up betrayed him by slipping down his sharp cheeks. Pine leaned against a wall and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "Angela, I can't lose her like I did Sophie. I had to lie through my teeth and call her a stupid rookie that lived in fantasy land! I had to make her think I hate her!" He walked over and placed his hands on Angela's desk. Tears dripped onto some of the paper work as they fell from his cheeks. "She is so smart though. She managed to prove me wrong about Abbadon and reveal who the real person in charge is. It's Abbadon's brother, Daniel. Without Katie, I don't know how I would have seen the truth otherwise." He finally grabbed a chair and sat down, crying softly into his hand. “I could  _ never  _ hate her which is exactly the reason why I am scared.” 

Rob stared in shock at Pine as he witnessed his friend break down. Never before had he seen Jonathan Pine so distraught and defeated. He wanted to say something to perhaps lighten the mood, but could think of nothing. 

Angela tossed her phone onto her desk and clicked her tongue. "Well, your asinine move probably worked considering she isn't answering my calls." She snatched the drive and paper, turning around to face her laptop and began tapping away. "You can go home now, Pine. I'll contact you when I've got something." She dismissed him, her tone cold. 

Taking note of Angela's now toxic mood, Jonathan got up and left, slamming the door behind him. It wasn't the Director he was mad at, but himself. No matter how hard he tried to justify what he did was for Katie's safety, it just didn't sit right. He did it because he is afraid to fall in love and lose her like he did Sophie. That awful night still remained fresh in his mind, even after 7 years. He lost Cameron but due to war and it made him sick thinking of how disappointed his late friend would be knowing how his sister was treated. At last, Pine reached the building and was anxious to think of anything but his faults. He stops abruptly as he notices something on the ground; it's one of Katie's sneakers. Was she in that much of a hurry? Pine brushed it off and decided maybe he should stop by and drop it off in case she hadn't left. By the time he reached her floor, the atmosphere felt off. He didn't like it at all as it gave him the notion that something bad just happened. Could be the residual energy left from their fight three days ago, but it wasn't that. Jonathan's heart began to beat hard and was loud in his ears as he approached her door. With a shaken hand, he grabbed the handle and pushed it down. The door was unlocked, maybe she hadn't left yet? The only problem with this scenario was, not a rustle of frantic packing or footsteps could be heard. 

"Katie?" He called out, entering her flat and shutting the door behind him gently. "Katie are you here?" He called out again, receiving no answer. Before he carried onward, Jonathan stepped in something slippery. It was rather dark in the flat and the liquid had a sort of odor to it. When he turned the light on, his stomach dropped as there had been a struggle. Furniture knocked over, sheets torn apart and blood splattered here and there. He whipped around and noticed that a trail of blood had been made going outside. "KATIE!? KATIE ANSWER ME!!" he tossed her shoe aside and frantically looked around her flat, searching high and low. "FUCK!! KATIE!?" Pine noticed her phone on the floor, the screen shattered. Underneath it was a note with sloppy handwriting that definitely was not Katie's. 

> _ If you find this, it may or may not be too late for the girl. We are certainly aware of what went on in Moscow and do not appreciate your interference. Consider this a warning and if you're smart enough, you'll pay a visit near London Bridge at 3PM sharp tomorrow. Perhaps Ms. O'Connor is still alive so this was our best shot at getting your attention. You will meet an associate of ours by the name of Joshua and we will know if you bring help. Let's say if we find you did bring back up, little Katie might have an accident that may or may not result in her accidental death. Do not keep us waiting, Pine.  _
> 
> _ -Anonymous Poppy  _
> 
> _ P.S.  _
> 
> _ Roper sends his regards~  _

In a sudden burst of rage, Pine crumpled the paper and tossed it as hard as he could against the wall. To make matters worse, not only did his eyes land upon a single Poppy but another flower among the Poppy family; bloodroot. Carefully he knelt down, picking the flowers up and noticed some blood drip from the petals. “Katie-” He spoke breathlessly, horrible dread crushing inside of his chest and making it hard to breathe. Tears resided in his blue eyes once again as he stared at the flowers covered in what more than likely was her own blood. “Hold on.” His voice cracked as he stood to his full height, making his way out of her flat with the flowers held tightly in his grasp. He wasted no time in getting himself ready; finally washing away the chill of Russia, dressing in inconspicuous clothing, making sure that his gun was loaded, combat knife sheathed and hidden, and his determination strong. One thing he did wonder was how in the hell Richard Roper managed to squirm his way back into the limelight. He knew that the smarmy crime lord had his ways and his charismatic ways unmatched, but after such a huge blow it was difficult to think of why he’d show his face again. Whatever the case was, it didn’t look good at all. Pine’s jaw clenched at the memory of how Roper had nearly killed Jed and subjected her to horrendous torture. His blue gaze focused hard at the window to the outside, stashing his pistol on his belt in it’s holster. He couldn’t let Angela know what happened or she’d cut all ties and force him to live a life of complete shame. Eventually, she would find out but if Jonathan could get to Katie in time, that was all that mattered to him. Getting her back home safe and alive was all he wanted. Pine shuddered slightly as an icy, invisible touch came over his hand and caused him to pull away in alarm. He looked at his hand, flexing his fingers and shaking his head. That was rather odd and had the agent thinking just for a moment that it could have been something trying to make contact with him. 

"I wonder when he will show up!" A short and stocky man with shaggy black hair spun on his heel, getting irritated by the never ending rain. The time was 2:56PM the next day and the associate, Joshua, was already waiting with great impatience. He checked his watch and sighed through his large nose very aggressively, “Well this better not go all to pot. If he don’t show up within the next two seconds-” 

The sound of someone clearing their throat caught the grubby man off guard and Pine walked out of the shadows, fury blazin in his baby blues. “Where is she?” He growled, making Joshua very aware of the advantage he had over him in stature. Pine’s hand shot out, grabbing the collar of the associate and getting in his putrid face. “WHERE IS THE GIRL!?” He was letting his anger fly off the handle and get the better of him. 

Joshua held his hands up and grinned, “Tsk, tsk, tsk… I’d be smarter than that if I were you, Pine. Should anything happen to me” He tapped his ear piece, “All I have to do is say the magic word and your little friend will go POP just like the weasel!” He laughed, being shoved to the ground and scrambling back up, sneering at Pine. Black, malicious eyes darted from the gun holstered on Jonathan’s belt up to those rage driven blues. “I see you’ve got a little form of negotiation there. Too bad for you, that’s one of the terms you failed to recognize as help.” He waved two fingers and three goons appeared behind Jonathan, knocking him unconscious. “Such a pity this bloke is. Alright boys, take ‘em to the truck and get a move on. He’ll be seeing little Katie soon enough. Hope he likes the make over we’ve given ‘er!” He giggled heinously and rubbed his filthy hands together. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ice cold water was dumped over Jonathan, waking him from his state of unconsciousness and making him gasp despite the gag in his mouth. He shivered violently as the dark room he was in did not help make matters any better. 

“Finally awake are we?” A woman… or man's voice spoke. 

Jonathan’s eyes shot up to see a bony, feminine and masculine figure standing before him in dim light. His brows scrunched in confusion as he couldn’t quite make out if this person was male or female. 

“What are you lookin’ at?” They frowned, kicking Jonathan across the face and scoffing. “How rude looking up a lady’s skirt! Haven’t you ever heard of someone who’s born in the wrong body? Of course not, you’re just another one of them transphobes! Why did I even bother to ask?” The woman huffed, her heels clacking on the concrete floor as she approached the bound agent. A pale, bony hand with long red nails snatched Jonathan’s jaw and deep brown eyes bore into his soul. “Mmm cute one you are. Too bad you ain’t my type and I hate men.” She smacked his cheek and stood back up, snapping her fingers. “Boys!! Hit the lights please!! I’d like to give our honored guest a look at his little girlfriend’s make over!” 

Blinding lights caused Jonathan to shut his eyes tightly for a moment before adjusting to his surroundings. He was in a warehouse of some sort that was stacked with all sorts of packages and crates containing illegal drugs and paraphernalia. Upon closer inspection the woman, who he mistakenly misgendered on accident, had sported a black eye with other signs of a struggle. It appeared that Katie had indeed put up some sort of fight and did a good bit of damage as the woman also had a limp and nasty bruised ankle. 

The woman scoffed and dropped her hands to her sides, “Bloody hell. Joshua can’t you hear a damn thing I tell you?! I said bring out the girl, not stand there and act like you’re stupid!!” She growled and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it and raising a brow at Jonathan. “Oh my bad.” her heels clacked over to him and removed the gag but not the rope around his arms or legs. “Names Natalie Baylor, but you probably already knew that if you did your homework properly. Though, you know me by a different name, my dead name. Nathaniel Zayler? Remember that nasty little bloke? Army? No?” Natalie took a drag from her cigarette and shuddered, itching her dead veiny arm. 

Now that she mentioned it, Pine did come across Nathaniel before but never got to truly know him. All he remembered was that Nathaniel Zayler was dishonorably discharged for multiple drug offenses and other vile deeds. “Nice to see you haven’t changed in terms of attitude. Sorry about misgendering you earlier, Natalie. I’m actually not a complete arrogant bigot.” Jonathan frowned and groaned, his face sore from the kick. “Just tell me what you want and release Katie. Please.” He winced as a headache also began to make itself known. 

Natalie hummed in delight at Pine’s remembrance and apology. “You haven’t changed much either with your polite and respectable approach. Glad to see that some people at least show an ounce of consideration for a lady and NOT misgender her!!” Her hollow eyes widened around at the goons who cowered away in the shadows. “I’ll tell you what Pine, your little girlfriend showed the same amount of respect by putting on a show of agility.” Natalie took a drag from her stick and blew the smoke, looking around and noticing Joshua still standing against one of the crates, flirting with another man. “This is rubbish.” She growled and made her way over to her agent, putting her cigarette out on the back of his neck and grabbing him by the ear with her nails. “I thought I told you to get the god damn girl!! Do not make me remind you again or I’ll take away first dibs rights on the molly and Loveboat!!” She shoved the crony forward before turning her attention back to Pine. One thing that Natalie absolutely despised was being ignored and pretending as if she didn’t exist. “Anyway, as I was saying, little Katie showed that she wasn’t afraid to fight another woman and even begged to try her out. Feisty little fox she is.” The Mafia woman pulled out another stick and began to inhale the nicotine deeply. 

“I can see that.” Jonathan growled and squirmed, noticing his gun was of course gone but his knife still strapped under his pants. “So are we gonna get on with what you’re gonna tell me you want from me or no? As lovely as you are, I’d prefer to move along and have Katie home safe.” He grunted as he began to move his arm, attempting to pop it out of place so he could pull it out of the binding. It would hurt like an absolute bitch, but if it meant getting Katie out then he’d pop all of his joints out of place. 

Taking another inhale, Natalie sighed and took a seat on one of the crates. “You don’t want to reminisce about the time in the army? I mean, I can’t say I blame you entirely as we both have our reasons. Me with my ongoing issues and identity and you with… Oh wow! Katie O’Connor! Oh why didn’t I see it before!! That’s Cameron’s little sister isn’t she? I knew she looked familiar with those green eyes. Tsk, shame he had to go the way he did in chunks.” Natalie spoke nonchalantly and paid no mind to Jonathan’s reaction to how casually she spoke. “Anyways! So, here’s what’s gonna happen.” She slithered off the crate and clasped her hands together, grinning as Joshua finally brought a ghostly pale and beaten brunette girl out. 

Jonathan’s heart sank at how bruised and battered Katie was. A nasty gash ran from her collar bone to her left shoulder, her lip was busted, nose more than likely broken, a dark bruise garnishing her cheek, rope burns around her throat and wrists and other small cuts. “You sick fuck.” He echoed his words of the past from when Roper showed him what he had done to Jed. 

“Ah-ah!” Natalie scolded, waving her finger and grabbing the unconscious girl. “So. Because of your little stunt in Moscow, our business regulations have been heavily shifted over to our American branch and have caused a temporary shut down with our location. We are going to be without income from Belladonna for weeks because of the shit you pulled!! Because of this, Wisteria and Daphne will be livid with their lack of resources from us! All because you had to meddle in our affairs in Russia and cause us to lay low from authorities!” She hissed and tossed Katie to the ground in front of Pine. The skeletal woman grinned as she saw the ex soldier squirm towards Katie to the best of his ability. “She was fun to break and seems to carry a lot of hatred towards you. Wonder why that is? Oh right, you watched big brother blow to bits!!” Natalie laughed wickedly and stomped her feet excitedly like a child. Her shrill laughter ceased after a few moments and she leapt down from the small ledge she stood on. “Now, we’ve got a few options here. First one is that we kill you and the girl to get big bonuses from the higher ups. Second one is that you both walk out of here with your lives, but you help us get our end of the business rolling again. I can’t promise that Belladonna won’t come for your heads after that because they more than likely will, but at least you’ll be alive for a short while. Us Poppy seeds got business to do and Natalie Baylor needs her fix to keep her mind off her war crimes. I’m sure you of all people understand that, Pine.” She paced along, almost circling the pair like a vulture. “Third one is the least recommended but it’s the one where you permanently join us and we inform Belladonna AND Roper of your fidelity. If you go with this one and backstab us, then let’s just say I’ve got someone waiting outside sweet mother Angela’s building right now with something that’s more explosive than our riots.” Her rotted teeth gleamed in the flickering warehouse lights. Natalie snapped her fingers again, “Untie him but keep your guns on them. I’m going to give you five minutes to decide while I go get a fix of some smack. If you haven’t made up your mind by then, well I guess option number one is the automatic choice.” She shrugged and almost glided out like a ghost, shutting the door. 

Once the restraints were cut, Pine rushed over to Katie and scooped her into his arms. He made a quick assessment of how badly hurt she was, noting the gash and broken nose. “Katie, I’m so sorry… Fuck, this is all my fault.” He swallowed back tears, pressing his forehead to hers and holding onto her with a death grip. There was no way in hell he would let them take her from his arms again. Her faint breathing gave him a bit of relief to know that she was still alive. Pine’s brain raced through the ideas, dismissing the first option of death. While the second option was the most reasonable, that would still put the both of them on Belladonna’s hitlist. Jonathan assumed that Belladonna was Daniel’s branch and the very head of the organization. Now that Richard Roper had seemingly made a come back and joined forces with Daniel Hasapis, made things all the more problematic. He was not about to make an alliance with that monstrous man ever again and left the second option as their only way out. Jonathan looked back down at Katie, pushing her bangs from her face and staring at her resting state. He had promised her that he would never let anything happen to her. That promise was broken and it had him panicking over if she would even look at him. Pine’s heart ached at the possibility of those beautiful green eyes never turning his way again. There was so much of Cameron that he saw in her, and it brought him comfort in knowing a piece of his dear friend still walked the earth. He couldn’t lose Cameron a second time… No, Katie was not Cameron. She was not her brother or his dear friend but a woman who had stolen his heart within the short amount of time they spent together. Jonathan had made the decision that he would walk until the ends of the world to make up for what he had done. Even if she lost any sort of attraction, he would never want to let her go from his life. All he wanted was her trust, happiness, and to see her blossom into the agent she was meant to be. 

“Times up!!” Natalie came back in, her eyes black from the effects of the drug blowing her pupils out. She grinned as she saw Pine hold Katie closer to his body and found it endearing. “What’s your answer?” She walked down, squatting in front of them, that wicked smirk still plastered across her bony face. 

Pine looked away from Natalie and down at Katie, his eyes full of emotion. “We’ll get your business rolling again.” He stated, then turning his attention to the skeletal woman in front of him. “But swear to me that when this is all done, you leave her out of this. You can do whatever you want to me but do not touch her.” His nostrils flared. 

Natalie scratched her chin, musing over his words and then sticking her thin hand out. “You’ve got a deal, Pine. I’ll keep my word so long as you keep yours. Remember what I told you though, I cannot guarantee that Belladonna will leave either of you be once our arrangement has been said and done. You are free to go. Naturally, I suspected that you’d choose this option and have two of my men waiting outside your flat to deliver instructions on what is expected of you for the next three weeks or so. You also understand that you will not receive any benefit from this? That means no cash or any form of payment. Consider that I allowed you to walk with your lives as payment. Now get out.” Her smirk fell and she rose to her feet, waving her hand for the pair to be blind folded. “Oh, and one more thing before we depart! I  _ will  _ know if you make the choice to rat us out. I have eyes all over London so I recommend that you don’t try anything sticky. Toodles!” 

Once Jonathan and Katie were blindfolded and driven to an unknown location, they were unceremoniously thrown out of the truck. As soon as the sounds of the car’s engine grew more distant, Pine ripped his blindfold off and huffed as they were placed in the middle of the woods. “Shit.” He growled as they had also kept his gun. 

“OH HELL NO!!” Katie sat up right, eyes wide and wincing as she saw Jonathan Pine. 

Pine’s expression fell, “Give me a chance to explain-” his vision was now focused on the barrel end of a gun pointed at his face and saw that Katie’s finger was right on the trigger.


	7. Saffron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby steps

Slowly, Jonathan held his hands up and closed his eyes. He suspected a bad reaction, but not to this extent. “If you want to shoot me, go ahead.” He spoke quietly, his eyes still shut and heart racing. 

Katie cocked the gun, her hands trembling. Her eyes shut tightly as she pulled the trigger, but nothing came of her action. “God Damn it!!” She cried, frantically trying to disassemble the gun in morbid hopes of finding a single bullet. Her thoughts eventually caught up to her and she threw the gun to the side, letting out a sob with her body piling into a heap on the forest floor. The brunette knew from the start that she would never be able to outright kill someone point blank, let alone have it be Pine. “Why!? Why did you come for me!?” She shrieked, getting up with some difficulty and promptly punching Jonathan across the face. “You fucking asshole!! You’re so fucking stupid, Pine!!” She punched him again, seeing that he took each of her hits. “Why won’t you say anything!?” She whimpered loudly, falling to her knees and hitting her fists against his chest while continuing her meltdown. Katie’s limbs ache badly from the abuse from last night and the cut on her chest burned as it hadn’t completely scabbed over yet. 

Jonathan caught her fists and held them in his hands, looking at her with sadness. “I was wrong. I should have never told you to leave or said the things I did. Your kidnapping was my fault and I will forever regret my actions.” He felt her rip her hands away from him. Katie’s rage was in the right and Pine would take every last bit of her wrath if it eased the tensions. 

“Then why!? Why the  _ FUCK _ did you even do it in the first place!? How the fuck do I not know you’re lying to me right now!? Is it because Angela said something about me being gone that put your paycheck on the line!? Was it!? I know you don’t give a damn about me so that is probably why you came to get me!!” Her lower lip quivered and she stood up. This was too much for her in the short time span of everything that had occurred. Katie began to limp away as fast as she could, noticing that there was a sharp pain in the side of her hip. She heard Jonathan call after her, but she did not stop. She wanted nothing to do with him. A strong pressure around her arm made her scream loudly as she was yanked back to Pine, squirming. “LET ME GO!! LET ME GO YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!! LET! ME! GO!” Her knee was abruptly stopped before she could get between Pine’s legs. 

Pine exhaled loudly through his nose as he struggled with getting the American woman to calm down. “Stop it!! You are truly acting like a child!! Katie, stop!!” He forced the both of them onto the ground, pinning her beneath his body. The agent was really taking some chances with her underneath him like this as she could be triggered into an episode by this alone. “Katie please. I didn’t do it for my paycheck and Angela doesn’t even fucking know! I did this because I am terrified to the core of losing you! I said what I said because I care about you a lot more than you think I do. The way I care about you is very much different from how I cared about your brother, if that is anything to go by.” He began to cry, turning his face away so she wouldn’t see his tears. His chest heaved with sobs and forced him to get off of her, crying into his jacket sleeve. 

The words that Katie had just heard seeped in over the action that he performed to get her to listen. Slowly, she sat up and bit her already bloodied lip hard. She wanted so desperately to believe his words but because of how badly he had hurt her, it would take a long time for him to earn her trust back. “I don’t believe you.” She whispered, casting her gaze aside and wrapping her arms around herself. “I can’t. You hurt me, Pine… I trusted you up until we left Russia. I-I wanted to be different and you helped me be just that. You helped me realize that not all men are pigs and I-I even liked you. I thought that maybe we could…” She stopped herself and shook her head. They could be more than friends? Absolutely not. With the type of lives that they led, it would be impossible to be something more than just companions that were close. Maybe Pine did have some sense in his words when he told her she lived in a fantasy. She did expect some sort of fictional romance to blossom from this like in the movies or books… “Nevermind, forget I said anything. Let’s just go back and let Angela know I’m ok. Then I’ll go back to packing my stuff and go back to Michigan.” 

Jonathan’s head snapped up at her words and his sobbing ceased immediately. “You can’t.” 

“What do you mean I can’t? I can and I will. There’s nothing more for me here.” Katie rose to her feet and huffed, beginning to limp away. What she heard next however, made her freeze. 

“We got out of there alive because I-I agreed to helping Poppy get back on track with their drug dealing until next month!!” Pine blurted out, rising to his feet and looking at the girl with honesty. “I understand your frustrations with me, but when I say I would go to great lengths to keep you from getting hurt or worse… I would.” He licked his dry lips and sniffled. Jonathan took a step closer to her, leaves crunching under his feet as he did so. “I am not asking for you to forgive me, I am asking you to trust my word and that in no way did I ever mean what I said back in Russia.” 

Turning around, Katie’s green eyes were wide with a mix of astonishment and horror. She blinked a few times before finally taking a breath in that she hadn’t realized she held for a bit. Swallowing her pride, she thought about his words for a moment and looked straight into those beautiful blue eyes that continued to captivate her. “I don’t think I can do either of the two, Jonathan.” her voice came out soft and her tongue felt heavy saying his first name. “But you dragged yourself into this shit and managed to tag me along. I’m not about to say no to something that will affect us all and potentially cause more violence.” She sighed, her breath visible from the cool evening air. A tiny and sad smile touched her lips as she looked at Pine, parting her lips again to say something but losing her train of thought. “Thank you for rescuing me.” was all she could say before turning back around and limping on. 

It was then that Pine heard a high pitched squeal come from Katie as she grabbed onto her hip and fell to the ground. He quickly rushed over to her and helped her stand, eyes scanning her form with worry. 

“I’m fine. Please, Pine don’t try to suck up to me and think that everything will be ok tomorrow.” Katie pushed away from him and carried onward, limping. Her hip burned badly and she so desperately wished her stubborn ass would welcome the help. It was only a few weeks of underground duty and then she would be on the first flight back to the USA. The sooner she left England, the better. Her heart couldn’t take much more with her strong feelings she still harbored for Jonathan. 

\------------------------------

Just as Natalie had promised, two henchmen awaited the pair's return with written instructions of what was to be expected over the following weeks. It had taken them around 3 hours to get back, but Pine had managed to snag a cab while they had walked along the lonely road. The instructions had read where to go, who to deal with, which areas were off limits, when the police were out and about, times, dates, how much of each sale, etc… Jonathan sighed heavily as he sat on his bed, running a hand through his freshly showered hair. He did give thought to letting Angela know that Katie was ok, but Natalie had said she has eyes all over London. Pine wasn’t about to risk having his phone call being recorded and have Katie killed over false pretenses. Speaking of, he wondered how in the hell she was fairing with her ruined apartment. He would most definitely offer her to stay with him, but knew better than that. What she had said today was right, nothing would be ok or back to normal the next day. He could feel the hurt in her voice when she told him so. Pine fell back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling and letting his mind drift elsewhere. He’d rather not think of what was expected of him in the coming weeks as it reminded him of all the horrible things that Roper had him do. Instead, his mind chose to wander back to Katie which was also a terrible choice as he felt his chest grow warm. 

Pine closed his eyes, trying like hell to dismiss the growing dirty thoughts of the young woman. It felt sort of wrong in a way with how old he was as he was approaching 40 in less than two years. Meanwhile, Katie had yet to even reach 30 as she was still so young and vulnerable. She had not truly experienced life as he had and it definitely showed. But oh, the way she practically stripped naked for him only a few days ago had awakened something inside of the dark blonde. He longed to touch her bare skin again as she was so smooth, soft. A hand slid down the length of his torso as it crept underneath the band of his sweatpants. Pine stopped and swallowed hard, trying to fight the urge to touch himself to the thought of her. “I can’t.” He pulled his hand out from his pants and growled softly as his cock had grown semi-hard. Curiosity was a bitch as Jonathan examined his hand, bending his fingers around nothing and imagining just how soft Katie’s full breasts would feel beneath his palm. This same hand had been the one to come close to her pussy, but only rest upon her thigh. Logic and reasoning were losing a game that had never been in their court to begin with as an amorous fog clouded Jonathan’s mind. His hand slid back down into his sweatpants and he bit his lower lip as he was now fully erect. “Shit.” He groaned and slid his pants past his hips and took a hold of his cock, stroking it slowly at first. As he touched himself, his mind went back to Katie and the sounds she made from that day. Her panting, soft moans and needy movements that simply implored Pine to continue further and possibly claim her. “Katie- Oh shit.” His brows turned upwards as his hand moved faster, the precum that dribbled from the sensitive head of his cock helping with lubrication. His breaths came out in short bursts, imagining that it was the young brunettes hand wrapped around his impressive length. Jonathan could only imagine how mind blowing she would feel with his cock buried deep inside of her pussy and squeezing him. Seeing her grab the sheets as he pounded into her while she cried his name out and that  _ one  _ word that drove Pine over the edge. His thumb swiped over the weeping slit of his cock and a shudder ran through his body from how sensitive he was. “Fuck.” He cursed, twisting his wrist slightly as he continued to bring himself to a finish. Seconds later, his breathing became choppy and hips jerking upward as he fucked himself into his fist. “K-Katie.” His eyes squeezed shut as he came all over his stomach, spurts still squirting from his length while he stroked the rest of it out. After a few moments, Jonathan came to and licked his dry lips, smacking the hand that wasn’t occupied to his forehead. “Fuck it’s like I’m back in school.” He muttered to himself and carefully reached over, grabbing a few tissues from his bed side and wiping off his fluids. Once he was certain he was cleaned off, Pine tucked his now soft member back into the confines of his sweats, pulled the pants back in position and sat up. 

Jonathan looked over as he saw his phone buzzing on the bedside table and picked it up. Angela was calling him. “I can’t.” He said to himself and threw the phone aside, not wanting to risk the previous hypothesis from earlier before. He fell back against his mattress, puffing his cheeks and blowing out air. These next few weeks would more than likely break him if not completely destroy him. Even by the end, what would become of him? Would Angela understand his reasoning? There had to be a loophole somehow. There just had to be. Pine would not take no for an answer. 

“Holy shit.” Katie winced, examining the blackened bruise on her hip. She had just returned from the doctors after Pine’s incessant pestering and found her hip had almost been fractured. The gash on her collarbone to her shoulder had been patched up as best as it could. Her nose had been realigned, albeit with a nasty crunching noise. Other than that, Katie had been extremely lucky to escape with the minimal injuries she had. Shaking her head, she looked out of the bathroom and grimaced at the absolute mess she had the displeasure of cleaning up. “Nope. Shower first.” she muttered and carefully rid herself of her filthy clothing. Normally, she would have been absolutely mortified to go to the doctor in such a state. However, this time was different and all she wanted to do was get back to her flat and sleep. She hissed as the hot water hit her grimy skin, moving away and pressing herself up against the wall. After a few seconds, she felt more comfortable to get under the spray of water. Grabbing her nail scrubber, she quickly went to work on getting all the dirt and blood caked underneath her nails, grossed out by the residue the brush cleaned out. When she finished with that, she reached for her shampoo next and hummed in content as her fingers massaged the suds into her scalp. It felt so nice to be in her own shower and wash the very eventful day away. She wondered if Pine had also taken a shower- 

“Why am I thinking about him?” She asked herself and rolled her eyes, rinsing her hair out before grabbing her loofah and sudsing it up. As she scrubbed it along her body, Katie let out a soft moan as the material scratched against her nipples. For a moment, she stared at her breasts and set the loofah down to grab her mounds. Her mind wandered to thoughts of how Pine’s large hands could easily hold each in his hands. Katie began to grope her chest and pinch experimentally at her now hardened buds. She continued to massage her breasts, the soap providing some slippery motion. Eventually, one of her hands traveled south the more she thought about Jonathan and how erotic he sounded panting in her ear. That part of the trip along with when she danced with him, was something she would soon not forget. “J-Jonathan.” Her voice turned a little husky as she rubbed her clit in circles gently. Katie’s brain became muddled with thoughts of the agent she so vehemently begrudged. She gasped, slipping a finger into her pussy and whimpering at how wet she had become in the short amount of time in the shower. “Mm!” She slipped a second finger inside of herself and began to move her fingers in and out, wondering how Jonathan’s long fingers would feel inside. It had been far too long since she last touched herself as she felt disgusting after what happened with Travis. “Jonathan- please!” She gasped again, moving her hand faster and panting a little harder. Her hips began to buck up a little in search of more friction as her hand was not enough at all. “Jonathan!” She moaned his name over and over, part of her wishing he would hear her wanton cries. Katie wanted that man to  _ destroy  _ her in every way possible, give her bite marks to show everyone who she belonged to and make her his. 

The young woman found the idea of never belonging to anyone else but Pine to be something of a dream. She would not mind at all if she could never be with another man but him. Despite the large age gap, it didn’t bother Katie in the slightest and she found it more of a turn on than anything. “A-Ah!! Oh my g-god!! Jonathan!!” She whimpered, hitting a spot inside of her pussy that sent waves of pleasure throughout her body. “Daddy!!” She squealed, rubbing her clit and slamming her other hand against the wall for support. “Jonathan!!” She was so close as her fingers rubbed faster but that was shortly stopped as lo and behold, Jonathan Pine himself slid the door open and had a full view of her body. 

His cheeks became a dark pink as he couldn’t help but stare at the gorgeous woman before him, her skin shining from the water that ran down her body. Pine’s jaw fell agape and any sexual pent up energy he had came back with full speed. “I-I’m so sorry. I just- I heard you and- wanted to make sure-” He continued to scramble for words, eyes focused on her body. “I’ll just g-go.” He nodded, sheepishly closing the door and swiftly exiting out of her bathroom. 

Mortified, Katie stood there frozen and pleasure gone. Two seconds later, she blinked and removed her hand from between her legs and stared at the now closed door. Had she really been that loud? “Pine?” She called out, wondering if he was still there. No reply. “PINE!?” 

Jonathan stopped mid walk just after he had decided to leave and forget about why he had originally come down to her floor. Had he just heard her call for him this time? Not deliciously moan his name? Pine took a deep breath, calming himself despite the obvious arousal very much threatening to tent his sweatpants. Turning around, he walked back and entered the bathroom with his nerves lit. “Yeah? Er, you did call me instead of er.. You called?” His voice cracked slightly. 

“Yes. I did.” Katie leaned against the shower door and her eyebrows knit together. Why did she call him back over? Was it because of the fact she had been masturbating to the thought of him and that she wanted to make that scenario happen? She pressed her thighs together, arousal returning. If it weren’t for her lack of a sex life and hormone induced brain, this would have never happened. “Do you want to take a shower with me?” She ate her words almost immediately as she heard his foot shift and his breath stifle for a moment. They had literally just been over this today! Katie knew that she was digging a deeper hole and couldn’t find the means to stop. “I-I mean, I’m having trouble reaching my back and the doctor told me that I shouldn’t use my left arm.. Too much… yeah.” She partially lied. No turning back now. She made this bed now she had to lay in it. 

Thinking back on earlier, Pine found this incredibly strange and he knew he should turn her offer down, but once again the power of pelvic sorcery won over logic. “Will you be ok with that? I don’t mean to over step boundaries or seem like I am taking advantage of you.” He bit his lip and shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. 

“Yes! I mean, yeah I’m ok.” She slapped herself mentally for her resurfacing libido answering for her. For a second, she thought that maybe Jonathan took back his reply as the only thing she heard was the fan and shower running. All thoughts were quickly dismissed as he opened the shower door, looking down at her with his darkened blue eyes. Katie found herself staring into his eyes like many times before, enchanted with his sharp features. She didn’t even try to cover her naked body and felt his gaze drinking every inch of her exposed flesh. The brunette also had a good view of the naked man in front of her. It was like he was carved from fucking stone by the Gods themselves. He was beautiful and just muscular enough for her taste. Katie’s hands flew up to her mouth when her eyes traveled further down but immediately flew back up. She could feel her face grow hot from the view she had gotten. Pine was  _ huge.  _ There was no way all of him could fit inside of her, but Katie was one to try anything once and saw more positive than negative. 

“I thought this was just a shower?” His voice had deepened with arousal, taking a step forward and cornering the shorter woman. “Katie, did you really need help washing your back? Or did you call me in here to get my hopes up in the possibility of having sex? I’ll be honest with you right now, despite how you feel about me; when I see you like this-” His hand twitched, itching to feel her, “I don’t want this to be another incident like in Russia.” He cautiously raised his hand up to her face, his thumb gently tracing her bottom lip. “Please, tell me the truth Katie. I had come here with intentions of offering you a place to stay until your room got squared away but now, it seems that I have other intentions. Tell me now so that I am not lost later on or even regret anything that could happen in this moment. I will respect whatever decision you make and it will not impact on how I feel toward you.” His heart thudded loudly, confused by his own words. How much did he really feel toward her? Was it just this moment out of lust? 

The girl looked away from him and let out a shaky breath at the feeling of his hand on her skin. What she was doing was completely wrong and she felt horrible by leading him on just because she had been horny. If what he said was indeed true, then what she had made a decision on would be alright. Katie looked back up at Jonathan and felt tears in her eyes, the past events of yesterday catching up with her now. “Hold me.” She whispered, wrapping her arms around his torso and pulling her naked body tightly against his own. The feeling of safety rushed through her as soon as Pine’s arms returned her gesture and held her as equally tight. She began to cry softly and rest her soaked head on Pine’s chest, just letting everything out as he held her. This did not mean she forgave him of any sort but it was the first baby step in figuring out what they were truly meant to be. 

“Shh..” One of Jonathan’s hands came to rest against her head as he stood there under the hot water, holding her. He was glad that this had been her final choice and was more than happy to provide any sort of comfort to the shaken young woman. “It’s ok, we’re gonna get through this together. I will make certain that we will see this bloody conundrum to the end, then if you really want to forget me and go home… I understand.” He placed a gentle kiss on top of her wet head, his arousal now vanishing in favor of tenderness. 

“I don’t wanna go back home.” she sniffled, taking a deep breath and allowing a few more tears to fall. “There’s nothing back for me except a boring life without purpose- Tr-Travis-” She was quickly hushed by the man holding her. 

“Don’t think about him, sweetheart. He’s not here and he will never hurt you so long as I am around.” Jonathan pulled away from the embrace to look her in the eyes, making sure that she knew he was being serious. 

The words of Jonathan Pine promising that he would never let any sort of harm come to her from that monster caused Katie to cry harder. “C-Can I stay with you tonight? Please? I’m sorry about today, I’m sorry I’m stupid, I’m sorry I’m a rookie and a burden and-” She felt one of Pine’s slender fingers touch her lips. 

He shook his head at her and took her arms gently in his large hands, “You are far from stupid, Katelyn O’Connor. You may be a pain in the ass at times, but never would I insult your intelligence. All rookies can be burdens but the best agents start from that.” He reached up, turning the water off and getting out of the shower. “Come on then, don’t want you pruning up.” He smiled softly and extended a towel to the brunette as he dried himself off. Once she had taken the towel from him, Jonathan scooped his clothes up and changed into them before exiting the bathroom to give her a bit of privacy despite having just seen her naked form. He saw how sad she looked coming out with an oversized t-shirt and boxers, going to her ruined bed to resign herself there for the night. “You can come and stay with me for as long as you like. I have a couch that I’ll take on for myself-” He raised his eyebrows as he noticed her shaking her head. Not another word was said between the two as Katie grabbed her necessities quickly, with some help from Pine before making their way to his flat. 

“Can you hold me again?” she muttered like a shy child, biting the inside of her cheek as she dropped her pillow onto his bed. Katie knew she was bound to have nightmares and needed Pine to hold her so he could chase them away. Little did she know, she did the same for him. 

Jonathan gave her a smile, “Of course. Come on, we’ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow and we can discuss more in the morning. You can brush your teeth and do your business first, I’m gonna read over the instructions one more time.” He moved out of the way for Katie to take care of her nightly rituals. Pine’s cell phone began to ring again and when he looked over, it was from an unknown number. An ominous feeling passed through the dark blonde as he picked it up and slid his thumb to the right over the screen, “Hello?” 

“Brilliant! I was hoping I reached the right person.” The males voice paused as he received no answer from the other person on the line. “What? Don’t you recognize an old friend's voice? Come on Pine! Birch! Whatever you go by at the moment.” 

Pine’s knuckles became white and he looked over at the bathroom door before heading out into the hall. “How the fuck did you get my number, Roper?” 


	8. Black Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Jonathan Pine needs to be held in return. 
> 
> Please read the notes before continuing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !! DEATH!! DEATH!! DEATH!! THIS CHAPTER HAS A LOT TO DO WITH DEATH AND THERE IS A GRAPHIC SCENE OF WAR!!

The crime lord took a drag from his cigarette, puffing out smoke before answering. “I have my ways, you should already know that.” his lips pulled up into a smirk. Roper waved two fingers at one of his guards to bring him a glass of wine. “So I heard you and good ol’ Danny boy have met. Nasty bloke he is.” Roper takes another drag from the stick. 

“I am not here to have idle chat, Roper.” Pine looked behind him, making sure the door was still shut and Katie was hopefully out of ear shot. “Just tell me first how in the hell you managed to crawl out of the hole you hid away in and what you want from me.” His blue eyes kept glancing over to the door, debating if he should let the young woman in his flat that he had to step outside. 

Richard chuckled into the phone, taking a hold of his wine and sipping it. “I’m not going to repeat myself, Pine. You should have heard me the first time.” He took another sip of his expensive beverage before setting it down. “I’ve come to give you a ring and tell you that you’re off the hook. I’ve taken care of what Natalie wants from you within a few hours after your departure. She’s got the biggest of smiles on her face right now because of it too.” A knowing smirk touched his lips again, sinister intentions gleaming in his eyes. 

Pine huffed and opened the door for a moment, holding his phone away from his mouth. “Katie? I’m gonna step out for a smoke for a bit. I shouldn’t be more than ten minutes.” Dragging her into the mess known as Richard Roper was one of many things that Jonathan didn’t want to meddle her into. He put the phone back up to his ear, fast walking out of the flat as fast as he could. 

“Katie?” The older man mused, chuckling and pursing his lips as he inhaled from the white stick. “You’ve moved on fast if I’m assuming correctly. I thought you and Jed would have eloped after the stunt you pulled with me, shaming me for a few years.” He flicked the ashes into a tray and frowned at the memory of just a few years back. It was certainly interesting to know that Pine potentially had a new love interest. Roper noted this in the back of his mind and would ask Daniel about this new woman later on. 

Jonathan lit a cigarette of his own, taking a drag before lowering his voice as he was outside. Anger and hot smoke ignited inside the agent's chest at the mention of his past lover. “You should know that the life I lead isn’t meant for time to play romance or settle down. Now tell me what the fuck do you want. I can’t say I’m overly thankful you took care of something I had started planning ideas for.” He took another drag, eyes scanning the crowd for any onlookers that could be eavesdropping. 

“Bollocks! Come off it, Pine I know you better than that. You certainly didn’t have your finalized plan of shutting Poppy down within a fortnight, so I went ahead and took care of it for you!” Richard leaned back in his seat, staring out of his villa balcony. Like he had said, Roper had his ways of working his way back into the land of crime and managed to get his private island home back. “I’m not trying to kiss ass and earn points with you, I’m playing devil’s advocate at the moment. I did it because you have bigger problems ahead of you and Daniel was tired of waiting around for Natalie and her drug addicted squabble to actually do something. You can certainly cross Poppy off your list now because Bloodroot is now taking over.” He clicked his tongue and reached over to grab a file, “Sometimes I wonder about these Americans and their tenacity to get the job done. Feisty ones they are, I’m sure you understand just as much as I do.” He hinted at Jed once again, still sour over that whole debacle. “Oh and you needn’t worry about Natalie’s boys watching you anymore, in fact you should be more worried if Belladonna could be creeping nearby. Luckily for you, I haven’t called any of my men to keep tabs on you… Yet.” 

The Crime Lord’s slight cryptic speak was beginning to drive Jonathan crazy and he just wanted to hang up right then and there. However, if what Roper said was true then this meant he could return the call to Angela and find out what she dug up on that thumbdrive and note. “I can only wonder when that will be.” He hissed, exhaling smoke and flicking the ashes. “So you only called me just to tell me that you handled my situation but that you’re also in cahoots with Belladonna’s leader? Brilliant. What a waste of my time. Next time you even think about calling me, be sure that I don’t have your number being tracked resulting in putting you away for good.” He pulled the phone away from his ear and hung up, jaw clenched tightly. Pine knew DAMN well that Roper was up to something more nefarious than he led on. It wasn’t out of the kindness of his own cold heart that he’d do Pine a favor after what he did to him. He wanted something and whatever that something was wouldn’t be good. 

“Well?” Daniel narrowed his gaze at Roper sitting across from him. 

Richard gave a knowing smirk and nodded, “He’s suspicious but I think he took the bait.” He reached for his wine and leaned back again, sipping it. “Now we just wait for when that stupid woman sends him off to South Korea or Japan. Bloodroot is currently enroute to Tokyo?” 

The Greek man nodded, his arms folded across his chest. “They are to meet up with Wisteria and  _ possibly _ Daphne if The Tigress decides to get off her lazy ass and make the trip. From there, they will be discussing new trade routes and deals now that Poppy has been taken care of.” Daniel sneered at his former English branch. 

“What of your sister? The Wolfsbane branch?” Roper raised a brow, curious as Abbadon’s area was not brought up. For as long as Richard had known the siblings, he rather liked the younger sister as she was quick and took no shit. He thought that she was better suited to be leader of Belladonna instead of her aggressive older brother. Daniel was too brash and never thought of how his decisions would impact his business after he leapt. It worked out eventually but with too many mistakes and messes. 

Amber eyes gleamed with dark fury, “What about my traitorous sister? Of course Wolfsbane is out of the question.” Daniel scoffed and gave a slight snarl. “Because of her little performance in Moscow and now with Poppy gone, we have to work even harder with just four instead of six branches.” His eye twitched from irritation. The night of the gala still infuriated Daniel as he had blindly put his trust into his sister and was played right into her trap. She  _ knew _ Pine would be there and had been hiding her desire to break free of the family business until then. That is the reason why her son, Nikolai, was locked away in a cage in an unknown location in order to keep tabs on her. However, this did not appear to be enough and so Daniel decided that having two big branches was useless. “So do you have anything else to tell me, Richard?” He exhaled hotly and raised his brows. “Anything that may perhaps calm my rage? News of successful weapon sales? New whores shipped from Seoul? Pine’s new partner?” A sick smirk cracked across his tanned lips. 

“Oh.” Roper inwardly rolled his eyes at Daniel’s insatiable thirst for a perfect harem. Sure, Richard enjoyed a woman’s company from time to time but, Daniel was rather disgustingly obsessed with it. He even saw first hand that his respect of women was zero to none, hence why his wives were covered in bruises. “Well yes, I believe he mentioned her name was Katie? Don’t you have… Twelve wives already?” He raised a brow but would rather not hear the details. 

Daniel got up and clapped his hands, beaming pervertedly. “I much prefer that over Natasha. That was her little nickname back in Moscow. Mmm “Katie” yes I do enjoy that.” He frowned slightly at Roper as he heard the hint of disgust in his ally’s voice. “Thirteen is just another number, no? I have collected wives from all over! Egypt, Germany, Canada, Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Russia, Spain, Africa, France, Australia… I need an all American girl to carry on with my little theme I have going on.” His smirk returned and a very obvious erection stood out. “Now, when you hear news of their fated arrival to the land of the rising sun, let me know and I will discuss plans to lure them to the den of The Tigress. She may be a lazy bitch, but she knows what she does and performs it well. Oh and Roper-” He turned around, smirk gone again. “Do not let me regret bailing you out or it is your head I will take as payment.” 

\--------------------------------------

Police sirens blared as several cars pulled up to the abandoned warehouse out in the woods. Angela stepped out of one of the cars as she had been informed that this crime was another piece to her case. “Jesus H. Christ-” She muttered, covering her mouth with her sweater sleeve upon seeing the blood bath. 

The entirety of Poppy were currently being dressed in body bags as just hours ago, they had been slaughtered brutally. Natalie Baylor’s appearance was by the far the worst with her eyes gouged out and her mouth split from ear to ear. On each member of the drug organization there had been a Belladonna flower carved into their forearms complete with a small bouquet of the said plant. What was more gruesome was that many of the members, Natalie included, had the equally toxic berries stuffed into their mouths by the handful. 

“So I’m gonna assume this is the higher ups. God save the Queen, they’re going after their own crew.” Angela pondered, walking carefully around the corpses. Natalie’s clenched fist particularly caught the Director’s attention and she asked for a pair of gloves to inspect the late woman’s body. “Thank you dear” She took the gloves from a paramedic and slipped them on, carefully opening the stiffened hand. It had been around four hours since the discovery of the murders, so rigor mortis had already settled in. Much to Angela’s lack of surprise, there was indeed something held. The older woman removed the paper and frowned in concentration, waving a police officer away as they tried to escort her off. “I’m part of this investigation, Angela Burr? Haven’t you heard of me?” She shook her head as the officer gave her a bit of an attitude. “Bugger off.” She cursed under her breath before returning to the strange piece of parchment. What she read made her blood run cold. 

> _ Considering that you’ll be the first here, my dear Angela, I dedicate this work of art to you. The higher ups of Belladonna have so graciously allowed me to walk a “free man” once more. All I had to do was take care of these spineless oafs for them so that your dogs could continue to sniff their way along the investigation. Take this as a warning that I am watching and should you reveal anything that this note contains, the same could happen to you. I’d like to think of this as a little game and see how long it takes before someone slips. Have a lovely evening, my dear.  _
> 
> _ -An old friend  _

It was wrong of her to do, but Angela quickly shoved the piece of evidence in her pocket and growled. She knew exactly who this was and was not happy in the slightest, “Roper.” 

\---------------------------------------

The moment Jonathan stepped back inside, Katie was already in bed and sound asleep, snuggled into the sheets. Pine couldn’t help but think of how adorable the brunette looked all tucked in and cozy. He sighed deeply, figuring that now with Roper’s odd involvement it would be safe to give his boss a ring. It still puzzled Pine though with Richard suddenly appearing out of the blue and giving them some leeway. There had to be more than just this, Jonathan was certain that Roper wanted something, he would just have to find out as soon as he could. Shaking his head, Jonathan makes his way to the bathroom and tends to his nightly needs before making his way to bed. He would think more on the case tomorrow morning with a more clear and concise mind. Carefully, he peels back his sheets and slips into them without waking Katie up. Thankfully, the young woman seems to be a rather heavy sleeper as Jonathan’s arms wrapping around her body does not seem to disturb her. Pine was more than happy to have Katie in his arms and would never turn something like this down as her body molded perfectly to his. Leaning over, he turned the lamp off and adjusted his position. With the soft patter of rain hitting the window, soothing darkness, Katie’s warm body, and lovely scent; Jonathan found himself asleep within minutes. 

_ -flash-  _

_ “GO! GO! GO!!” The sergeant of Pine’s squad screamed as the Taliban were firing at them.  _

_ A younger Jonathan frantically looked around, the sound of gunfire ringing in his ears for a moment. “CAM!? CAM WHERE ARE YOU!?” He screamed for his friend, hiding behind a bullet ridden wall for cover as a pipe bomb blew. Cries of pain from his companions had suddenly become louder than the explosions and rain of fire. He was not about to leave his best friend behind to die. “CAMERON!?” Pine threw himself from out of his hiding place, only to be forced to army crawl as bullets from each side whizzed above him. He had to hold back a scream as a child soldier fell dead right in his eyesight. Anything that he had eaten that day made its way up and covered Jonathan’s front as a reaction to seeing this innocent child fall victim to war. There was no time to stop as Pine continued to army crawl, using the dust from the area as coverage.  _

_ “Pine-” A voice moaned out hoarsely.  _

_ What Jonathan saw next made his stomach drop. Cameron was tied to a post with a large handmade timer bomb stabbed into his hands. “N-No, Cam.” He felt breathless as he quickly made his way to his dying friend. Almost immediately, he tried to undo the ropes securing Cameron, struggling as his vision was blurred from dust and smoke.  _

_ The brunette man gave a bloody smile to his best friend and laughed weakly. “Hey i-it’s ok. I’m gonna be ok, Jonathan.” He coughed, shutting his eyes and continued to smile through the pain.  _

_ Jonathan began to cry hard, tears trailing down his dirt ridden face. “No! I won’t let you die!! I’m gonna get you out of here and, and patched up. Your sister is waiting for you, Cam!! I won’t allow you to die!!” His bruised fingers ripped away at the bindings as fast as they could. “I know that your parents give two shits less about you, but your sister needs you!! Katie needs you!!” He sobbed, seeing he only had less than two minutes left. If only he hadn’t gotten into a stupid argument with Cameron over a week ago, none of this would have happened. Cameron wouldn’t have stormed out for a smoke, wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped, wouldn’t have gotten beaten, and wouldn’t have to die. Deep down, Jonathan knew it was too late to save his best friend but his frantic state wouldn’t allow him to see the truth before him.  _

_ Cameron shook his head slightly, “It’s too late. M-My legs.” He coughed, nodding down to them. He saw Jonathan’s blue gaze look at his gored limbs in horror. The terrorist group had practically severed them off down to the bone and even a bit through it. To make matters even more painful, his achilles tendons had been ripped out.  _

_ 01:00  _

_ 00:59  _

_ “NO!! I CAN’T!!” Jonathan breathed harder and growled as he fought a losing battle in order to save his friend.  _

_ “JONATHAN PINE!!” Cameron shouted, getting his attention. His bright green eyes shimmered in the ray of sunshine that tore through the clouds of war. “Go. I’m dying for m-my country. I need you to run. Run as fast as you can and don’t look back. Please. Live on for me and if you ever meet little fox, make sure she doesn’t get into too much trouble.” A tear slid down his bruised face as the bomb was down to thirty seconds. “GO!!” He wailed at Jonathan, watching his friend get up with remorse and look at him one last time before taking off. Cameron shut his eyes, smiling and waiting for death to take him. “Thank you, for everything.”  _

**_BOOM!_ **

_ -flash-  _

_ A young girl with brilliant green eyes stands before him. “My name is extremely Irish, it’s corny I know. I’m Katie O’Connor”  _

_ His heart stopped as soon as she spoke her name. So he wasn’t dreaming after all when Angela said that a “Katelyn O’Connor” would be accompanying him. This was her; Cameron’s little sister. Little Fox.  _

_ -flash- _

_ “JONATHAN!! JONATHAN HELP ME!! I DON’T WANNA DIE!!” Now it was Katie strapped to a pole instead of Cameron.  _

Jonathan shot up, gasping for air. His hands shook as he looked at them in the moonlight. The clock read 3AM once he glanced over to see how much sleep he had gotten. 

“Pine?” Katie spoke softly, adjusting her position so that she was facing him. Around 2:30AM, Katie had been woken up by sounds of whimpering and slight thrashing from the man next to her. She had tried to wake him up, but with no success. Her brother’s name kept slipping from Pine’s lips in a panic and he even broke out into a full on sob. What had he truly seen that day? 

The dark blonde haired man froze up at the sound of her voice and turned to face her, swallowing to soothe his dry throat. “Did I wake you? I-I apologize for whatever you may have heard.” He took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. It had been a while since he last dreamt of that day. How horrific war truly was and how unnecessary that mankind craved it as a means of justification. His brows knit together as he felt Katie pull him down slowly. He felt her arms wrap around him as she pulled him close to her, laying his head upon her chest. The sound of her heartbeat made Jonathan wrap his arms around her in return and start to sob into her chest. His body shook as he cried softly, not holding back his emotions. 

“I forgive you… About Cameron. It wasn’t your fault.” She whispered into his short blonde locks, her fingers gently massaging his scalp. “We still have a long way to go before I completely forgive you, but I understand now that you tried to save my brother.” She shut her eyes, feeling tears of her own burn them. One witness to Pine’s nightmares of past war was enough for Katie to forgive and let go of her false grudge against Jonathan. A sort of peace had come over her upon her words and a soft smile graced her lips to know that Cameron wasn’t in pain and that he died heroically. Katie held Jonathan a bit closer that night, with both of them succumbing to sleep shortly once more. They had a big future ahead of them in taking down Belladonna, but they would do it together as she needed him and he needed her. 


	9. Phacelia, Perovskia & Carolina Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems that Katie and Jonathan will end up in the same place no matter how hard they try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation for the Japanese 
> 
> Duh, I'm the best here and there won't be mistakes. 
> 
> It's great because you have no idea what I'm talking about or understand me.

_ “Reports indicate a total of 15 victims in the slaughter last night on London’s north end. Authorities have not found any evidence leading to potential suspects as of yet, but will alert the public as soon as they-”  _

Angela turned the television off and rubbed her tired eyes, sifting through the pictures that she had gathered from the thumb drive and reports from last night. All of the files on the small device were of paintings that Angela had certainly never seen before. The little note that Pine had given her was full of numbers that she assumed were coordinates of some sort. When she plugged them in, they all led to some off the grid location in China. “This is bloody rubbish.” She muttered, shaking her head and feeling lost from all this nonsense. 

“You doin’ ok over there, Ang?” Rob poked his head up from his desk, raising his dark eyebrows. When Rob came in for his shift this morning, he found Angela sleeping at her desk with her hand near a cup of coffee ready to spill. 

The brunette woman shook her head and sighed deeply. “No. We’ve got some big trouble on our hands now. Roper has managed to make an appearance again, the thumb drive is full of strange but beautiful paintings, we’ve got someone playing at Jack the Ripper in the 21st century, a toxic flower crime organization on the loose, and a piece of paper that has coordinates to the middle of fucking China.” Angela stood up from her desk and handed Rob the pictures of the paintings. “Can you make sense of any of these? I’ve got an idea that they portray some sort of emotion, but I can’t put my finger on it.” 

Rob’s eyes widened for a moment at the mention of Richard Roper. “Well ain’t that just the bees knees…” He mumbled to himself, taking the pictures and glancing over them. There were definitely strong emotions behind the paintings, but now even Rob was stuck in the same position. “Sorry, mum. This don’t make a lick of sense to me either. You look like you took a nice evening stroll through the cemetery though! Want me to get you a coffee? Extra cream?” He mused. 

Angela waved her hand, “No thank you. I’ll take you up on it a different-” She stopped mid sentence as a healing, yet still busted up, Katie O’Connor walked in. “JESUS H. CHRIST!!” She shouted, rushing over as her maternal instincts kicked into gear. Her arms wrapped tightly around the young woman and was reluctant to let her go. “What happened to you!? Rob, actually coffee sounds lovely. Katie, darling, what do you want? Caramel Macchiato? You young folk like that sugary concoction. Well, come on then, sit down.” she led Katie down to a seat and shot Pine a glare as he walked in behind her. Angela pointed an accusatory finger at the blonde and pursed her lips tightly, “You have got some explaining to do!” 

Naturally, Jonathan expected this would happen. He entered the room, greeting Rob with a nod, “Earl Grey tea please.” He answered the shorter man before holding the door open for him and watching him exit. Pine parted his lips, taking a breath to begin “Katie was kidnapped the day we got back from Moscow. Poppy, or rather the leader Natalie Baylor, took her away as a sort of retribution for what we did. When I got back from here, I found one of her sneakers in the lobby and meant to go return it but I found a note alerting me of her situation instead.” He felt his heart leap slightly as Katie turned in her chair and watched him with intrigue. “I was told to meet some guy named Joshua near the bridge at 3 and then I got jumped by some of Natalie’s thugs. They took me to the warehouse where all their drugs were stashed away and I had to agree with getting their business up and running again if Katie and I were to live.” He grimaced, unsure of how Angela would take the next bit of news. “Apparently, she and I don’t have to do anything anymore as Richard Roper took care of the situation.” He paused then glanced back at Katie, giving a small smile. “They roughed Katie up a bit, but she didn’t let that stop her from fighting back. I’m just glad I got to her in time.” His eyes glistened with truth and his smile grew a bit more as he noticed the young woman blush slightly. 

The Director became as white as a sheet. “Sick bastard. I KNEW he had a hand in this!!” She slammed her fists down on her desk and turned on her heel. She furiously tapped at her laptop before handing it over to Pine. “So you’re tellin’ me that Richard Roper took care of the situation you two was in by doin’  _ THIS _ ?” she folded her arms over her chest. 

Katie became curious and stood up herself, walking around Pine. “Holy shit-” She covered her mouth at seeing the crime scene photos and the gruesome mess Roper and his men caused. “He Black Dhalia’d Natalie…” She shook her head and looked at Pine. It had been less than 48 hours since the two of them had seen the woman alive. Never had Katie witnessed someone work that fast in her life. “So they’ve got eyes everywhere?” She gulped. 

“Yeah. Unfortunately they do…” Jonathan looked to Katie, equally disgusted at the pictures and details as he handed Angela her laptop back. He placed a large hand on the small of her back, leading her over to a seat. Jonathan then occupied the empty spot next to Katie and scratched his chin as he noticed other pictures scattered across the desk. “What’re those?” He nodded to them. 

Angela sighed deeply and collected them up, handing them to Pine. She was still not satisfied with his story but more over that Katie had gotten hurt. “These are from the thumb drive you gave me. Do any of these mean anything to you?” From the corner of her eye, Angela flinched as Katie snatched the pictures from Jonathan’s hands. 

“I-I recognize these!!” She exclaimed, sifting through the papers and nodding. “These are Abbadon’s paintings. She showed me when I had coffee with her before the gala…” Katie continued to study them, licking her lips. During her oddly enjoyable time with the auburn haired woman, Katie had the pleasure of hearing the meaning behind some of the paintings. Some of them were hidden messages of her desire to run away from the life she lived, the joy and love she felt for her son, and oddly specific locations in China. The very last one shook her to the core as Abbadon never showed Katie this certain painting. It was various bushels of  _ Rosa Calvaria _ , “Death Rose”, as it is better known as. A pale hand with long red fingernails lay amongst the flowers with a child’s hand in the other's palm. Not even in death, would Abbadon ever be apart from her child as the depth of her love went further than anything Katie had seen before. She felt slightly envious as she wished her own mother had loved her the way Abbadon had loved Nikolai. Unfortunately, Cameron had practically raised Katie under his wing since both of their parents worked. The two would constantly fight with her mother drinking her sorrows away and never fully being there for her children. Katie knew her mother didn’t outright hate her, she just was never fit for the life she chose. A chill ran down her spine when her father came into mind with his manipulative, toxic, emotionally abusive tendencies. She would rather not think of that as when she told Pine she had nothing left to go back to, her parents were the exact reason. Sure, she had friends but none of them really cared enough to check in on her to make sure she was doing alright. Katie looked back up, clearing her throat and began to explain what the paintings meant. 

Angela held her hand up, “Hang on a tick.” She grabbed the paper that the thumb drive had been wrapped in. “These are coordinations to some place in China… You think that her paintings and this little piece of paper could be tellin’ us something?” She pondered, chewing the end of a pen. 

“HOT! HOT! HOT!” Rob kicked the door open, his teeth clenched as he carried the beverages in his bare hands. “Blimey!! The blokes ran out of sleeves for the coffees and half way up, the fucking drink carrier broke and went all to pot!! Cheap bastards they are with their flimsy paper bullshit carriers.” He cursed, handing Angela her coffee quickly. Next he gave the tea to Jonathan who had thanked him quietly and finally Katie’s sugary hot beverage. “Dunno how you drink those. How old are you again?” Rob stood in place to catch his breath. 

Taking a sip and delighted to find whipped cream at the top, Katie licked the fluffy goodness from her lips. “Twenty-four. I’m turning twenty-five in 2 months.” she made a small noise of surprise as the drink was still piping hot and blew on the top to cool it. Becoming slightly frustrated, Katie quickly removed the lid and smiled in joy at the amount of whipped cream inside. “Thank you though! I haven’t had one of these in ages. The one I had in Moscow didn’t come with whipped cream… It was good, but there wasn’t any whipped cream.” She pushed her lip out a little in a pout, setting her drink down and folding her arms over her chest. 

Jonathan nearly choked on his tea as he looked at Katie in her childlike pose. “Be careful, we have a lot of pigeons around here.” He grinned, walking over and pushed her lip back in with a finger. “You’ll get special whipped cream if you accidentally push your lip out too far.” He felt Katie slap him in his side and chuckled at her continuous pout. 

“Shite, you had me sweating there for a moment Pine.” Rob shook his head looking at the floor, his cheeks slightly darkened. “I thought you were gonna go a completely different route before you said pigeon.” 

The room went silent except for the awkward cough that Angela gave, rolling her eyes and not wanting to further dive into that topic. “So! Thank you Rob for the drinks- Oh those bastards!!” She whined, setting her cup down rather aggressively. “They put fat free cream in here! It don’t taste right in the slightest! Bugger all.” She muttered to herself before pulling her attention back up to the two agents before her. “So, now that we have these pictures and location possibly figured out the next step is figuring out what the hell Roper wants from us and sending you two off to the land of the rising sun- Katie, sit down.” Angela gave the younger woman a very stern motherly look. “I know it’s exciting and that you will be an essential asset to this part of the mission given you’re fluent in Japanese, BUT! I need you to keep constant vigilance. With Roper now on the loose again, this could prove to be more dangerous than I had originally anticipated. I’m working with the authorities on getting more information on Daniel Hasapis, but no one’s given me a word. I think someone is paying them off to keep ‘em quiet and I have a strong idea as to who.” She took a dissatisfied sip of her coffee and made a gagged expression. “Anyhow, now I’ve got arrangements to make on a flight over to Japan, hotels, and other fees. I am sure you two are well aware of the situation and the group that’s in your next location. I-” She stopped mid sentence and put a hand over her mouth, yawning. “Oh goodness me, sorry. You know what, just come back tomorrow at 9 AM. I’m tired, the coffee sucked, and I wanna go home and sleep. We’ll discuss more-” she yawned again, “Tomorrow..” 

Jonathan and Katie thanked Rob once again for the drinks and bid Angela farewell for the day. “So you are absolutely certain that you can translate and speak properly this time?” Pine jested, elbowing the young woman gently. 

She stopped in mid walk back to the flat and gave him a look. Katie cleared her throat and opened her mouth, “A, atashi wa koko ni iru saikodesu. Soshite, machigai wa arimasen Pine-san.” she gave a wicked grin and giggled. “Anata wa watashi ga itte iru kotoba o shiranainode, kore wa subarashīdesu!!” there was a slight skip in her step as she moved on. 

For all Pine knew, she could have just insulted him. He rolled his eyes and followed her on back, impressed by how quickly she was able to fire back in, what sounded fluent to him, Japanese. Katie was becoming more important to Jonathan the longer she spent time around him despite his mistake. As long as they took baby steps to repairing whatever they had before, then things were bound to look forward in the near future. At least, that’s what Jonathan had hoped. When he really looked at the young woman, he saw something that he never did with Sophie, Jed or even any past lovers. He saw a future with Katie, someone to settle down with and get away from everything. His hopes were shot down as he came back to the reality he lived in currently. Such pleasures wouldn’t be possible for either of them, would they? Not until they were both too old to work or- 

“Pine?” 

Jonathan snapped out of his daze and raised his brows at the young woman, “Yeah?” He flinched as he realized he had almost walked into the door of his flat. “Sorry.” He chuckled, fishing around for his keys. 

“Uh, do you wanna go out tonight? Grab a bite to eat? Maybe a pint?” Katie asked shyly, following him inside of the flat shortly after. The idea of trying to rekindle a solid bond sounded like a great plan. Besides, they weren’t bound to pack yet as Angela never gave specific instructions to do so. What would the harm be in taking some time to heal and get to know each other further? 

Pine turned around, the answer yes stuck in his throat. As much as he wanted to, he feared that there would be another incident like their first night together as partners. They were both more than willing to work on the wound they both had caused and getting away from the chaos sounded ideal. He wouldn’t have to think much about anything really. It was just a casual night of two acquaintances going out and socializing. He nodded to himself and gave a smile to her, “Sure. Same place, or?” He looked inquisitive. 

“Mmm. How about something a little closer? I didn’t exactly get to have that legendary fire water from Russia so I’d like to have a drink or two. I promise I won’t get absolutely shit faced.” She held up her hands and smiled at Jonathan, hoping he would still be ok after her saying something like that. 

“Alright, but  _ if  _ you do get blasted then I am not cleaning up your dinner.” He chortled, grabbing Katie’s head and ruffling her hair affectionately. 

\--------------------------------

Famous last words were never more true eight hours later. Not only had Katie drank her promise away, but managed to peer pressure Jonathan into a few too many shots. They stumbled out of the pub they took up residence in for over five hours as it was closing for the night. It was around 5PM when they had first gotten there but immediately took up drinking the moment they stepped foot inside. Katie was holding onto Jonathan in a drunken haze, giggling with him over nothing. “Did you shee th’look on the guys face?” She slurred, stopping to press her face into Jonathan’s chest as she continued to laugh harder at a very scattered memory. “He was so scared you’s gonna beat ‘em up!!” she looked up, laughing more. 

“That’s because he was staring at your fabulous tits for too long.” Jonathan chuckled and picked her up, spinning her around and toppled over in the street with her on top of him. He let out a laugh from his drunken misjudgment and stood up wobbly. He smiled at Katie and pulled her up, only to scoop her up bridal style and laugh at her squeal of joy. 

The brunette playfully hit his chest and nuzzled her cold nose into his warm neck. “My tits were not hanging out! They may be fabbielousy but they are jussss titties.” She laughed childly and held onto Jonathan tightly as he carried her back to the flat with some difficulty due to how drunk they were. “We should do s’more shots.” She giggled, placing a soft kiss on Jonathan’s swan-like neck. His skin had a pleasant slightly salty taste to it when she kissed his neck. Liking it, Katie placed another kiss and then another onto him, moaning softly. 

A sigh escaped Jonathan’s lips as he felt her kissing along his neck. “No more shots.” he mumbled, kicking open the door and breaking some of the locks. Pine was too plastered to notice as he stumbled in, with only one thing on his brain now. Shutting the door, Jonathan walked over to his bed and dumped the woman on his bed. He crawled on top of her, chuckling as she had a grin on her face. “You naughty little thing.” He bent down, nipping at the skin of her neck and sucking a hickey into her skin. “The only man ‘oo should be seein’ those gorgeous tits is me.” He laughed against her neck and bucked his hips up into the apex between her thighs. “I’ve seen em once, but I wanna see em again.” He grabbed the ends of Katie’s sweatshirt and tugged it off along with her shirt. His eyes became wide upon seeing her bare breasts as Katie hadn’t worn a bra tonight. “Fuck.” He slurred, his large hands finally grabbing the mounds of flesh and groping them slowly. 

Katie hummed in content, staring at Jonathan while he played with her chest. “More-” She breathed out softly, grabbing the rim of her pants and shimmying out of them along with her panties. Her cheeks became a deep pink as she was now completely exposed to Jonathan like she had been yesterday. 

Jonathan stopped playing with her breasts for a moment, drinking in the visual before him. “Fuck, Kate you are fucking beautiful.” He dove forward, his lips hovering above hers. Bits and pieces of his conscious state began to come back, holding him from kissing the girl. Unlike Katie, Pine didn’t have as much to drink and despite the pleasant buzz, it was quickly wearing off. Logic was winning for once and the smell of alcohol on Katie’s breath was strong and made Jonathan’s stomach churn slightly. If he did what he initially wanted to do, he would be no better than that disgusting ex of hers. “Katie..” He whispered her name and only resorted to placing a kiss on her cheek. “I’m not… You’re too drunk. I won’t. I care about you.” He pressed his forehead on hers, sobering up faster than he normally would. It was odd how he thought it would take longer for him to catch up at his age now than when he was in his early twenties. Maybe it was the water he drank in between shots? 

Tears started to spill from Katie’s green eyes and her hands cupped his face. “I want you to.” her words still drunkenly slurred. “Please. Fuck me.” She almost whined. Unfortunately for Katie, she was very much a lightweight and it only took her less than three drinks to become like she was now. “Jonathan! Please!” She cried, her lips inches from his again. “I’m mad at you now but you’re so good t’me…” she nuzzled her nose against his and closed her eyes. The heaviness of sleep felt too good for Katie to want to open her eyes again. “You’re so… so… good.” She smiled, hiccuping. “Safe.” tiredness now laced her words as sleep began to take a hold of her. “I love you.” 

It was as if then, Jonathan suddenly snapped out of his buzz completely and stared down at Katie. His heart stopped for a moment as he heard her utter the three words he never wanted to hear. The world came crashing down on him and it was exactly just as he feared. His expression soon fell as he watched Katie fall into a slumber. Carefully, he pulled her panties that hung off her ankles back up and removed his jacket. He took his shirt off his body and sat Katie up, pulling the t-shirt over her nude torso and turning her head sideways as he lay her down. Pine’s heart ached horribly as he knew they were only just drunken words, but he felt the exact same way. It felt similar in the ways he loved Sophie and Jed, but this was on a completely different level. She was the type of girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, the type of girl he wanted to have a family with and grow old with. She was something he could never have without risking her life. He didn’t know to do anymore now that he had come to terms with how he felt. Grabbing a clean shirt, Pine slipped it on and walked out of the flat for a cigarette. He groaned at the sight of the busted locks. Once outside and with a cigarette hanging from his lips, his mind began to clear with the crisp night breeze hitting his flush skin. They always did seem to end up like this with both of them so desperate to give into the carnal pleasures of the flesh. So desperate to whisper passionate words of love and just be with each other. “Cameron, I am so sorry.” He exhaled, smoke coming out of his nose and mouth. “I’ve fallen in love like an idiot with your sister.” He smiled shamefully, looking at the ground. “But I cannot give her what we both truly want, if I suspect she feels the same and it wasn’t the alcohol talking. I can protect her to the best of my ability, but I cannot… I can’t.” He took another drag and sighed. 

How much longer were they going to play this game? Eventually, they would have sex and it would be a huge mistake on both ends as it would only strengthen how they felt. God forbid, when the inevitable does happen, what if she’s not on the pill or there’s not any sort of protection? The small chance of getting Katie pregnant scared him worse than the fact of having sex to begin with. He liked kids, but again, with this lifestyle it just would never be a possibility for him to ever dream of. It tore him apart inside, but that’s just the way it was. He had to think of something before they take off to Japan in the coming days or suffer the chance of endless scenarios that only end in heartbreak or death. He had to do this for himself and because there will never be another woman like Katelyn O’Connor to walk in his life and steal his heart.


	10. Wisteria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings travel to the Land of the Rising Sun

Just as promised, Katie and Jonathan arrived at Angela’s office at 9 AM the next morning sharp. To Jonathan’s luck, it appeared that Katie didn’t remember anything from last night aside from her regret of drinking too much. Before they made their way to Angela’s, the young woman had a very abrupt date with the porcelain princess. Pine was there every second of it, holding her bangs from her face and rubbing her back. He listened to her drone on and on about how she should have never drank that much and what the hell was she even thinking. These were things he had heard and even said himself before in the past. He understood completely and commiserated with her on foolish decisions. 

“Dear god, you look like me from yesterday.” Angela muttered upon seeing Katie. 

The American woman waved and leaned against Jonathan as she was exhausted from vomiting her brains out. She made a small and sleepy noise as an agreement, her stomach still churning slightly. “Too much to drink. I’m dumb.” She mumbled. It was not often that Katie consumed these beverages as she was a little repulsed by them from her mother being an alcoholic. Something deep down had been bothering her and she decided to indulge in a night of carefree consumption. She wanted to forget everything from that night as she had a foggy memory of what went down. Her careless indulgence had her drunkenly admitting to how she truly felt about Jonathan. This action in and of itself had her thinking twice of ever drinking again. 

Pine gave Katie a pat on the back and continued to hold her upright, not particularly caring if she fell asleep on him. “Yeah, we both had a few too many shots last night. However, Katie got a little competitive with the pair next to us and now she’s nursing a hangover.” He glanced down at her, worried she might throw up again with how wobbly she was. “Katie, let’s get you a seat so you don’t accidentally fall and crack your skull open.” He helped her over to one of the empty chairs in front of Angela’s desk. Once he had her situated, Pine took the seat next to his disoriented partner and kept stealing glances to make sure she didn’t go in reverse. 

“Right. Well, you’ve got around 11 hours to get that hangover of yours situated because you’ve got a flight at 8 PM off to Japan.” Angela shuffled some paperwork and turned her attention back to the pair. “Russia’s report gave me a heart attack alone, but this has me all up in a tizzy. You do realize you’ve got Yakuza workin’ with whatever branch-” She glanced down at her papers, “Wisteria. So yeah, you’ve got the Yakuza workin’ with ‘em. Normally, those blokes keep to ‘emselves but not as of late with Wisteria’s uprising. I’m sure Katie has more knowledge on that Japanese Mafia than I do.” She reached over to grab her tea, sipping on it before continuing it. “From what I’ve gathered, and pardon the butchering, Maysuhyoukey Keyboosuegee?” She glanced up at Katie. 

The younger woman groggily nodded and shook her head. “Mm-mm. Masayuki Kibutsuji, that’s how you say it. I’d write it down for correct pronunciation but my head is killing me.” she whined, running her fingers through her short hair. 

Angela looked from Katie to Jonathan and leaned forward, “Keep her away from the sakey will you?” 

“Sa-KEH.” Katie corrected quickly, her face scrunched as a wave of nausea passed over her. 

“Thank you, Katie. I’ll be sure to ask how to pronounce things when we get there.” Pine interjected and got up, hoisting the girl up into his arms much like last night. He wasn’t about to have her retch everywhere and make Angela clean it up. “Listen, I’ll give you a call when we get back to my flat. I think Katie needs to get as much rest as she possibly can before we head out tonight. I’m not sure how she is with planes.” He looked down at her as he heard her grumble something about being fine coming to England. “I’m sure that’s true but I don’t want to risk making a headache worse.” He chuckled and looked up at Angela, giving a smile of apology. As soon as the Director rolled her eyes and waved her hand, Jonathan nodded and took it as a sign that he was good to go. He used his strong back to open the door, pushing it open and adjusting Katie in his arms. Thankfully, she wasn’t heavy at all for him and rather easy to carry. He would make a joke of it being easy because she’s short, but didn’t necessarily want his head bitten off. To his surprise, Katie had fallen asleep within minutes of their exit. “Good. She can sleep it off for a bit.” He smiled down at her and continued onward to their flat. 

Gently, Jonathan set her down on his bed and sighed. Before he called Angela back, he went down a floor and decided that it was just better if Katie moved in with him. After all, she didn’t seem too ancy to get back to her flat any time soon. Pine even enjoyed having her with him despite the events they had been through and their healing partnership. She was always super attentive of her own belongings and helped clean up. Not to mention that she was insanely funny and had a wickedly infectious laugh. Jonathan cleaned up the ruined furniture as best as he could before starting to move the rest of the woman’s belongings into his flat. It would be a tight squeeze, but he’d manage. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Angela and set down Katie’s suitcase. “Hey Angela, it’s me.” 

“About time. It’s been around two hours, what the hell have you been doing?” She held her finger up to her toddler as she had returned home for the day. “Give mummy a second, love.” She bent down and placed a kiss on top of her child’s head. 

Hearing the child in the background made Jonathan laugh a little. He was good with kids and rather enjoyed them and their young inspirative minds. If things were different, he would love to have children of his own. “Well, I decided Katie is moving in with me after what happened two nights ago. She hasn’t expressed any concern of wanting to go back any time soon, so I moved the rest of her belongings in with me.” He sighed, noticing that it was certainly a tight fit with how much more she had. 

“Really? I thought you two were at odds? Nevermind, this isn’t about relationships.” She waved her hand, wondering about the pair in the back of her mind. Angela definitely noticed their body language around each other. Katie seemed very comfortable with Jonathan which made Angela’s heart warm. She had come a long way since they first met and was happy that despite the ups and downs, she was comfortable with a man. Pine seemed to take on a protective aura and almost possessive manner when it came to the young woman. The Director couldn’t have chosen a better pair. “Anyways! So I suggest that you pack wisely in terms of clothing. We are coming out of spring and going into summer. Katie will know more about it than I will, but Japan gets  _ hot  _ in the summer time. I recommend breathable clothing and maybe purchasing- You know what, I feel like if I say it then Katie will somehow hear my butchering of the words and telepathically scold me for it. I’ll leave all that up to Miss O’Connor while I discuss the important details.” She tapped her fingers on the coffee table and sighed. “Jonathan, the leader of Wisteria deals with illegal weapon sales and is a son of a notorious Yakuza lord. Do not take this mission lightly or let Katie get too excited. There is a small chance that you  _ could  _ encounter Roper which is why I’m having you get brand new phones. Roper managed to get a hold of you, yeah?” 

Pine nodded, leaning against the wall and watching a slumbering Katie. “Yeah. He did. I dunno how he managed, but like he told me, he has his ways. I was actually thinking about replacing my phone and number anyways; the model’s out of date and well, Roper has my number.” He walked over to the sleeping girl and pushed her bangs from her face. What the hell was up with him and his need to touch her? It didn’t need to be suggestive at all, he just needed to feel her skin on his. Pine knew his feelings were strong for the girl but he didn’t realize just how strong. He felt touch starved. 

“Well good. Anyways, you’ll be landing in Osaka around tomorrow or so. Your main locations are Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. Naturally, Osaka is their headquarters so that’s a given. Now I know I said that you are to be constantly aware at all times, but if you and Katie do find yourselves able to celebrate a festival; do it.” She smiled to herself and looked over at her child. “I’ve heard many fun tales and I think Katie would absolutely adore the notion. If you guys win a prize like some Japanese dog plush or cat I’ll pay you to bring it back for my little one.” She chuckled. “It’ll be a gift for Christmas this year to go along with the pet the husband and I have in mind of the hopefully, dog toy.” Her smile soon faded as she got a notification on her laptop. Clicking it open, Rob had sent her more information on Wisteria’s activity and noticed that Bloodroot was now active in Japan. “Hang on, Pine.” She muttered and held the phone to her ear with her shoulder. As she read over the notes, her eyes narrowed at a certain name pertaining to Bloodroot. The name felt familiar despite never meeting the man, but it did not give Angela a good feeling at all. “Did Natalie or anyone from Belladonna ever give out the name of the leader of Bloodroot?” She clicked on the picture and studied the man. 

The tone in Angela’s voice sent a worrisome feeling into Pine’s gut. "No. I never heard anything, why?" 

The older woman’s lips pursed as the image of this man gave her the chills. "Does the name Travis Smithson ring any bells? Dark hair, beady eyes, odd shaped lips, poppy tattoo on his neck-" 

"Shit." Pine exhaled, swallowing hard and looking at Katie. His hands began to shake out of fear for the girl. "That's… That's Katie's ex." He spoke quietly in the hope that the sleeping woman wouldn't hear him. Knowing that he was working with Wisteria and the leader of Bloodroot made this mission all the more difficult. Unbridled rage burned in Jonathan's chest for the man who tormented Katie for years and put her through almost irreversible trauma. 

"Rob sent me new information regarding the organization as a whole and it is expected that along with Bloodroot, Daphne is supposed to also make an appearance. Some private intel passed this on to us, the user was anonymous.” Angela sat back, biting her fingernails as this was becoming more problematic by the minute. Now they had to worry about the possibility of Travis coming after Katie if he was one of those type exes. Angela prayed that she was wrong in that assumption as it would break her heart to hear Katie fall back to her old ways. “Whatever you do, make sure that you are with O’Connor twenty-four seven. Do not let her out of your sight for even a second. Shit, I wasn’t expecting things to twist into a cesspit of even more complications. Your main objectives are to track down the boss, alert me of their transactions and movements, take down the leader and do not let that creep near Katie. We will handle Bloodroot with our agents across the pond when Smithson makes a return-” 

“ _ If  _ he makes a return.” Jonathan hissed angrily, standing up and walking over to the window, looking down on the streets. “I cannot promise you that I won’t pull anything stupid if he tries anything. If he so much as looks at Katie I will slit his goddamn throat.” He growled, clenching his fist and jaw. “She confided in me what he did to her, in detail, and I cannot let someone like him continue to walk alive. I will see to it that he is broken, terrified, shitting his pants and buried six feet underground with the putrid maggots eating his guts where he belongs.” Rage had his body shaking slightly. The things Katie had told him what Travis had done to her were horrific to say the least. It ranged from psychological manipulation, rape, beatings, broken bones, forcing her to stay after threatening to kill himself, drugging her, degrading her, forcing other men on her, and so on. This man was disgusting and he would pay for what he had done to Katelyn Selene O’Connor. “I am not playing around Angela. It is on site if he tries anything to put Katie in harm's way.” Pine breathed heavily and hung the phone up, figuring that was all Angela had to say. Even if it wasn’t, he didn’t care in the least bit about getting chewed out later. Jonathan sauntered over to Katie and sat on the edge of the bed, caressing her hair from her face again. How could anyone ever do such things to a person like her? Tears bit Pine’s eyes the more he thought about his past actions and harsh words. He was no better than that pitiful excuse of a man back then but he would never go back to lowering himself to that level again. 

The line beeped and Angela held the phone away from herself, speechless. Never in her years of working with Jonathan Pine had she ever heard him speak so venomously. He sounded like a completely different person, a man possessed. While she understood his rage, it was much too dangerous for him to fly off the handle like he wanted to. “God save the Queen, Pine don’t be stupid and get yourself or Katie killed.” 

\-------------------------------

After Jonathan had gotten off the phone with Angela a while back, he packed his and Katie’s belongings for the mission. He decided to take a nap as well with his arms wrapped protectively around Katie. The warmth her body gave off became addictive and Pine found himself burying his face into the back of Katie’s neck. He noticed the hickey on the side of her neck he had given her last night and blushed slightly at how dark it had gotten. Perhaps just once it wouldn’t hurt to- Jonathan pressed a gentle kiss to the mark on Katie’s neck and felt his heart race. He nuzzled his face further into her and inhaled her soft floral scent. Pine felt the beginnings of arousal stir up and tingle from doing such. Now was not the time for that and he quickly shooed it away through controlled breathing. His mind focused on how good she smelled and how warm she was. These thoughts soon had him falling into a deep sleep, his tall body curled around the smaller woman in a peaceful rest. 

It was 6 PM when they finally woke up, both of them reluctant to get out from their cozy embrace. Katie felt much better after sleeping for the whole day with only a dull thud in her head. “You already packed our stuff.” She whined, turning over and burying her cold nose into his shirt. “I’m so cozy.” She nuzzled her face into his chest and giggled softly, wrapping her arms around Jonathan. 

“I know but we’ve got new phones to pick up.” He smiled into her hair as he continued to cuddle the girl. Truth be told, he was also very comfortable and had no desire to move. He had no desire to go to Japan, to carry out the task at hand, or to leave this room. All he wanted was to have Katie in his arms and hold her just as he was now. "So are you going to make fun of the way I butcher my pronunciation?" He chuckled. 

Katie nodded her head into his chest and giggled more. "Did you even have to ask? Of course I'm gonna bully you about it." She looked up at him and grinned. "I wouldn't do it to anyone else~" she bit her lip, raising her eyebrows at the man. Katie let out a squeal of surprise as Jonathan began to tickle her out of nowhere. She tried to shove him off but failed as he was relentless in his tickle assault. "Pine, you asshole!!" She laughed, grabbing his hands and trying to pry them off. The brunette wrapped her legs around his waist and used her strength to flip him underneath her. Once she straddled him, her hands pinned his wrists to the sides of his head. "I win." She grinned victoriously before getting off of him. 

Pine laughed weakly, running one of his large hands over his face. With her in that position, dirty thoughts began to rouse inside of him. "Let's just be on our way." He sat up, trying desperately to distract his mind from perverse imaginations. Thankfully his stomach growled in need of sustenance. He hadn't eaten all day and wondered how the hell he wasn't lightheaded. Jonathan assumed that Katie was probably hungry too if her stomach wasn't sour still. They would just have to grab something at the airport. "Everything we need is packed though Angela said we should probably wear lighter clothing." He nodded to Katie's suitcase. 

"Oh shit I almost forgot Japan is sweltering during summer. Wow, the first trip ever and I get to go during the hottest time of the year." Katie mused sarcastically to herself, grabbing the handle of her bag and following Pine out in short. She noticed the locks had changed and wondered when Jonathan did that. Shrugging, she continued after the door locked and heard her stomach growl. "I hope they have something that isn't McDonald's." 

Two new phones and filled tummies later, the agents were on their way to the land of the rising sun. Jonathan let Katie have the window seat out of his protective nature. The minute that they step foot into Japan would be the minute that Pine was on high alert. During the 11 hour flight, each of them had fallen asleep on each other's shoulder at one point. Neither of them minded though as they found an odd comfort in it. Finally, the plane touched down just as the sun began to rise and was it ever a sight to behold. Katie’s eyes lit up at the view and her expression was full of wonder as one of her life long dreams became true. She quickly turned to Pine and smacked his shoulder, waking him from a light sleep. The young woman pointed excitedly at the rising planet and the beautiful morning sun that wrapped around it. While Jonathan did appreciate the stunning grace of the sight, he felt more dread than anything as this would mark the beginning of their mission. 

It seemed like a lifetime since they had last got to walk around and it felt absolutely wonderful to finally stretch their limbs. Quickly, Katie had gotten to work with asking where their hotel would be and the directions they had to take. Jonathan watched her do the talking and was thoroughly impressed at how easily she picked up on things. He glanced over at some giggling and noticed school girls gathered in a group and pointing at him. Jonathan gave an awkward wave and flashed a smile which caused the girls to squeal in excitement. When he looked back over at Katie, she did not seem amused at the chattering of the school girls. Was that a look of jealousy? “What did they say? I mean, both the person you asked and the gaggle of girls.” He raised his brows. 

Katie lowered her gaze, becoming sort of shy. “Michiko-san said that we aren’t too far from the hotel that Angela booked us and as for those  _ girls…  _ They were saying how handsome you are and that they should give you their number.” she growled slightly. Of course she knew Pine would turn them down as they were only 16, but it still didn’t help that she felt jealous. She hated that she got to this point of feeling jealous, but with how strongly she felt about Pine, it was near impossible to not feel that way. Katie quickly grabbed Jonathan’s hand and tugged him along to fetch their suitcases and be on their way. Naturally, she heard the gossiping of other women complimenting Pine and even getting a few rude comments about herself. “Mousy-looking foreigner”, “Ugly girl”, “Fat ass” and “Dumb girl” were among the insults thrown at Katie which she didn’t appreciate. Not every Japanese citizen would be as kind or polite as they had been shown in lessons. For another thing, this was Osaka they were in and the people of Osaka were known to be a bit more brash. 

Jonathan noticed that Katie was bothered all the way up until the hotel. He was glad that he didn’t understand a lick of the stuff that had made the younger woman upset. Once they had settled in, he grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. “Ignore whoever is saying what. You’re not here for them anyways. If anything, they are wrong about everything if they are insulting you in any way. I mean this truthfully.” He smiled softly, giving her hand a squeeze and seeing the girl’s perkier self shine through and return the smile. “If I may speak freely, the sunrise was beautiful indeed, but your smile is far more breathtaking.” He felt his own cheeks heat up from his flirt. 

“Pine.” Katie shook her head and turned around, letting his hand go and looking out of the window. His comment had made her heart race a thousand miles per minute, just his presence alone made her heart race a thousand miles per minute. “You’re so stupid.” She turned around, gasping slightly as he was closer to her than before. 

The room became silent for a moment as the two agents stared into each other's eyes. 

“The way the sunlight is wrapping around you right now- it..” Pine started to say but found himself growing closer to the woman, words completely lost. One of his hands cupped her face, and his blue eyes glittered in the light as he looked at her pink lips. He had no idea what he was thinking when he finally pressed his lips on hers softly, inhaling deeply as the thrill of kissing her rushed through his body. 

Katie stopped breathing for a moment as she felt his lips on her own. Her eyes fluttered shut as she leaned in and placed her hands on his chest. Their kiss became more aggressive as Katie felt Jonathan press his body against her own, drinking in the taste of her lips. She moaned softly, opening her mouth and allowing his tongue inside of her mouth. Heavy breathing and the sound of kissing filled the room, soon accompanied by the slight thud of Katie’s body being pressed against the wall. 

He couldn’t stop kissing this woman and his hands wrapped around her body. Jonathan felt drunk off of Katie, the sounds of her delicate moans fueling his desire for her. Finally he ripped himself away from her and turned around, holding his mouth. “I shouldn’t have done that.” He whispered and left the room quickly to recollect his thoughts. 

When the door shut, tears slipped down Katie’s cheeks and quiet cries replaced the once passion filled ambience of their kiss. 


	11. Bloodroot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They will always end up back with each other. 
> 
> Please read notes before continuing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!! THERE IS AN ATTEMPTED ASSAULT SCENE AND KATIE DOES GET ROOFIED !!! NOTHING HAPPENS BUT JUST WARNING YOU !!!
> 
> Translations: 
> 
> “Tatsukete!! Tatsukete!! Kono otoko wa watashi o kizutsukeyou to shite iru!!” - Help me, Help me. This man is trying to hurt me 
> 
> “Arigatou!! A, watashi wa nihongo o hanashimasu. Anata wa eigo wa jozudesu!!” - Thank you! Ah, I speak Japanese. Your english is excellent! 
> 
> “Ano, sumimasen. Anata wa Naruto ga suki desu ka?” - Uh, excuse me. Do you like Naruto? 
> 
> “Hai! Daisuki desu!! Hontou ni?” - Yes! Love it! And you? 
> 
> “Baka Gaijin.” - stupid foreigner  
> “Oi, Dare mo konai yō ni shite na.” - hey make sure no one else comes around  
> “Kono orokana meinu wa kusuri o nomu no ga totemo kantandeshita.” - this bitch was too easy to drug 
> 
> “Travis-san o matsubekidesu ka?” - Should we wait for Travis?   
> “Aaaa! Travis fuzakeru na!” - Aaagh! Travis can fuck off   
> “BAKAYAROU!!! KUSO KURAE!!” OMAE KARE O KOGEKI SURU!!!” - Son of a bitch!! Eat shit!! guys attack him!!   
> “SHINJIMAE!!” - go to hell

Katie touched her lips, tears still streaming down her face. Pine had once again wounded her deeply. The brunette quickly began to shove her belongings in her suitcase. She knew it wasn't possible to return to England at this point, but since she was fluent in Japanese, she could at least go to a different city. Her heart was broken from being played like that  _ again.  _ Once she had all of her belongings packed, she slammed the door open and began to rush down the hall. Katie didn't particularly care at who stared at her, all she wanted was to get away from Jonathan and never see him again. It was for the best that they were separated. He kept leading her on and promising false statements. This had hurt worse than when she first found out Travis had cheated on her; but she never was in love with Travis to begin with. She was forced into the relationship by a "friend" and was later turned against by said friend. Travis was her first everything; kiss, "boyfriend", sexual partner, true abuser, monster… He was everything but her first love. Katie never really felt what love truly was like until she met Jonathan Pine. This man had made her feel alive and innocent again, that she could trust once more. Although now, she didn’t know exactly how to feel except broken. 

“Hey!! Katie!! Katie no!!” Jonathan had just come back inside after having to cool down. “KATIE!!” He grabbed her arm as she had just tried to run past him. “What are you doing!?” He knew people were staring at them and whispering. 

“Let me go, Pine. I-I’m going to Tokyo  _ without  _ you.” her voice was shaken and unshed tears blurred her vision. “I’m  _ done.  _ I can’t take this anymore.” She tried to fight the tears and wavering in her voice, but failed to do so. 

Jonathan shook his head and yanked her back to him as she tried to struggle from him. “Stop it! You are  _ not  _ going to Tokyo by yourself! I will not let you. Will you stop it!?” He then shot his head up at the crowd gathering around and staring. “LEAVE IT!!” He yelled at them and felt Katie pull herself free. As soon as he lost his grip on her, he saw her take off. 

“Tatsukete!! Tatsukete!! Kono otoko wa watashi o kizutsukeyou to shite iru!!” She yelled to the nearby guards and exited the building as fast as she could. From the corner of her eye, she saw Pine being restrained by the guards who rushed toward him. Katie turned her back on Jonathan and walked out, tears falling once again. “I’m sorry, Jonathan.” She whispered under sobs, walking across the bustling street and becoming lost in the crowd. The feeling of blending in made Katie feel a bit better about her situation. She would do this investigation on her own from here on out and try to enjoy Japan as best as she could. After all, she had dedicated a large portion of her studies to the language and fell in love with it as a whole. This had been a dream of hers since childhood when she didn’t think it would ever be possible. She never thought falling in love with a man who only toyed with her feelings wouldn’t happen to her. “I’m so stupid.” She sniffled and carried on, looking for the next train to Tokyo. 

“Katie-” He had lost sight of her all because of that mistake. The mistake to give in to his curiosities of the heart and flesh. “Get off!!” He shoved the officers from him and leered at everyone who stared at him with bewildered expressions. Pine felt a pressure grip his arm that made him growl from anger and he turned on his heel, “I did not hurt-” His jaw fell open as he came face to face with Abbadon. “What in the hell are you doing here?” He thrust his arm back out of the woman’s grip. 

Her Amber eyes gleamed from under her sunglasses. “Not here. Back to your room.” She spoke, her thick accent laced with anger. 

As they returned to the suite that was intended for him and Katie, Jonathan felt nails hit his cheek as the woman smacked him. “What the fuck!?” He held his burning cheek and looked at his hand briefly, noticing that she had cut him as well. 

“You are a stupid, stupid man Jonathan Pine. I am here because I am one step closer to getting my baby back. I escaped the house that my bastard brother held me captive in and now here I am, across the place where he took Nikolai. You are a back up plan to rescue him if I should fall. However, I am here to tell you to get out of this location right now and chase after Katelyn.” Her voice cracked and her red lips pursed together. The Mafia woman’s heart felt the pain of the other when she saw her run down the hall in tears. “Wisteria knows you are here and so does Bloodroot. You remember those group of girls? The ones that called you handsome? They are not really school girls. Those are Masayuki’s girls and now that they informed him you are here, he has sent out men to grab you and Katelyn. Because I am here of my own accord, I will be taking up residence in this room. I have sent my dear Katelyn an anonymous text of which hotel in Tokyo to seek out and that her room is already paid for.” She huffed, setting her bag down. 

Pine shook his head, confused. So Abbadon had seen what transpired entirely from the moment they arrived. She must have been on their same flight but failed to notice as Jonathan was too taken with his concern over Katie. “Why are you doing this?” He shoved his belongings in his suitcase and couldn’t properly find the exact words to say. 

“Because you and Katelyn are my only hope should I perish.” Tears slid down Abbadon’s cheeks. “I never wanted to be in this life of crime, Pine. All I want is to escape this family curse and live out my life painting in the lavender vales of France, raising my Nikolai. We want peace. Money means little to me while love means everything.” She handed him directions to the hotel she had paid for Katie. “Now go. You do not have much time before Masayuki and his pigs arrive… -and if you ever treat Katelyn like you did again, just remember it is your own fault and that you lost a beautiful soul. I will tell you one more time that her heart is pure and it appears you are wasting it. You would be truly stupid to let her go.” She turned her back on Pine and began to settle herself into the room, no longer wishing to speak to the man. Abbadon had seen some of herself in Katie when she was much younger; bright eyed, full of ideas, love, and freedom. She wanted her friend to live the life she could never have. 

Taking note of her words, Jonathan nodded and dragged his suitcase out. His eyes peeled for anyone that looked lost or like they were searching for someone. Just as he left the hotel, a group of men with light purple suits came barging in and demanding to know where Jonathan Pine was in their native Japanese tongue. He couldn’t stop now, not even as he heard horrified screams of innocent people being interrogated in the worst way. His heartbeat was loud in his ears as he walked faster and faster, not knowing where to go. No one could help him at this point as the people he tried asking did not speak English. He cursed himself for causing Katie so much pain as he really needed her translation skills at the moment. “I’m such a bloody idiot.” He growled to himself and stopped walking. Tears stung his eyes as he thought of the worst possible scenarios that could possibly happen to Katie. The worst of them being Travis happening to stumble upon her before Pine could reach her in time. He pulled his phone out, dialing Katie and waiting for her to pick up. 

_ “Hello, you’ve reached the voicemail box of [------------] and is not available right now. At the tone, please leave a message.”  _

“Great.” He muttered under his breath at receiving her voice mail. The tone beeped and he took a deep breath, “Katie- It’s me. You probably don’t want to talk to me at the moment but I’m sorry. I am so sorry for hurting you and I-I’m just.” He stopped, unsure of what to say next. “When I am around you, I feel like an idiot in love. Because that’s what I am, actually.” he chuckles sadly and licks his lips. “This is such a piss poor confession after all the shit I’ve put you through. I’m not leading you on anymore or going to play games or run away from how I feel. I…” He stopped again, knowing his time limit was running short on how long the message recorded. “Just call me back and let me know you’re ok. Please.” He hung up and smacked his forehead with his palm, squeezing his eyes shut. If anything happened to her, he would blame himself 100% for his selfishness. Inhaling deeply, Pine removed himself from the pole and carried onward in his quest of seeking out help to get to Tokyo. He prayed that he would get there in time before the chance of Travis or something worse. 

The loud thud of a suitcase sounded throughout the room of where Katie was told to go. Her eyes were wide at how beautiful her room was. “Shit.” She exclaimed as she sat down on the large comfy bed. “The Prince Sakura Tower…” She smiled to herself, saying the name of the hotel outloud. Ueno park was just a little bit aways to compliment such a beautiful stay. It was a shame that they didn’t come sooner to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom. “Whoever that stranger was, they have money and great taste!” Katie laid against the large bed, spreading her limbs out and sighing. Something didn’t feel right though as the room felt rather incomplete and lonely. The brunette growled to herself as Pine was the first thing she could think of that was causing this issue. Couldn’t she just get over him already? He clearly was interested in only leading Katie on with the hopes of meaningless sex. “Asshole.” She whispered, shaking her head and getting up. Since it was still relatively light out, Katie figured she might as well get to know her bearings before she truly starts her mission. She glances over at her bag and grins to herself, hopping over and pulling out her makeup and a new outfit. 

She had gone for a more “casual” look with her makeup and didn’t over dramatize her eyes like she had for the gala back in Moscow. As for her outfit she had opted for a super comfy and soft baby blue button up cardigan that fit loosely. Along with this, she wore a sweetheart neckline crop top in white and paired it with high waisted ripped skinny jeans in denim. She admired how cute she looked in the mirror and played around with her bangs. “I need to get a trim.” She pulled at the now longer sides of her hair, pouting. Katie would never grow her hair out past her neck as it reminded her too much of what happened when she was with Travis. He demanded she kept it long as it made her look more like a “whore”. A shudder ran down her spine from the memory of it and she exited the bathroom. “Pine! How do I-...” she stopped short as Jonathan was not in the room and she forgot she was all by herself. Her green eyes darted down to her fingers as she fumbled them and felt sad. Everytime Katie had worn something different, Jonathan had always complimented on how good she looked or how cute she looked. The outfit didn’t feel as complete without his commentary. 

The brunette sighed, grabbing her phone and wallet before putting on a pair of flats and exiting the room. It would be good to get away for a bit and take in the bustling city life that Tokyo had to offer. Once she had reached downtown, her eyes lit up in wonder and a smile shined across her face at this surrealness she felt. “Wow.” she mouthed and started to look around. She hadn’t had a day like this to herself in a long time and it was glorious. Katie felt like Alice after she fell down and found Wonderland. 

“Excuse of me, miss you have a very cute clothing!” A Japanese woman caught Katie out of her daze with her broken english. 

“Arigatou!! A, watashi wa nihongo o hanashimasu. Anata wa eigo wa jozudesu!!” She smiled brightly again, carrying on a conversation with the woman in Japanese. She could tell the woman was surprised at her fluent speech and was more comfortable speaking in her native tongue. The two bid farewell after a few more minutes of talking about fashion and places to eat. “Sayonara, Hinata-san!!” Katie waved and headed in the direction the kind lady had recommended for a place to eat. On the way there, the brunette halted in her tracks and squealed as she saw a Manga store. She  _ had  _ to get a few volumes of her favorite series and dashed inside with zeal. The isles were miles long and it brought the American woman so much joy to browse through. She tapped her lips with one finger, thinking of what series she should start with first. Snapping her fingers she walked down the Shonen isle as that is what she enjoyed the most. Her eyes became wide with glee as she spotted many copies of  _ Naruto  _ and  _ My Hero Academia.  _ Katie couldn’t help but think of how weird Jonathan would find her if he saw her reading these. She shut her eyes and inhaled the smell of the inky manga volume she held. The last thing she wanted to think about was Jonathan Pine. 

“Ano, sumimasen. Anata wa Naruto ga suki desu ka?” A male voice spoke. 

“Hai! Daisuki desu!! Hontou ni?” She turned around. 

“Oh wow! Your Japanese is so good! I’m sorry, it is not often that I come across a cute foreign girl who can speak my language so well.” The young Japanese man smiled at her and chuckled at her slight surprise of how clearly he spoke and a faint blush on her cheeks. “My name is Sugawara Enji, but please call me Enji.” He flashed a crooked grin. 

Katie gave a nervous chuckle, taking one step back as her fear had started to come back in. “It’s nice to meet you, Enji. I-I’m Katie O’Connor.” she hesitantly held her hand out and shook Enji’s, not liking the strong grip he had. While she did come a long way in her progress with how she viewed men, the past ingrained fear that Travis had caused still lingered near and was never far away. It would forever be a part of her life thanks to him and the two years she spent in hell because of him. Her heart was racing as she realized just how alone she truly was in a country that while she spoke and read fluently, was by herself. There was no one she knew here except for Pine, but he was most likely sitting somewhere in handcuffs. Hinata only happened to be a passerby and she would likely never see the woman again. Not to mention, there was a murderous gang she was investigating that crawled through the streets. 

“So what are you doing in Japan?” Enji noticed her slight discomfort and pulled his hand away, placing it in his pocket. “Are you sightseeing? Maybe you are a student part of a program? I very much doubt such a thing given how beautiful your flow is.” 

“Yes! I-I’m sightseeing. I’ve always wanted to come to Japan ever since I was little and while the manga is a big reason, I just love the culture and language. I’ve worked very hard to get where I am now.” She held her copies of her books closer to her chest and felt her nerves act up. Why did this have to happen now? “Uhm, I think I’m gonna go check out and get something to e-eat. Do you know of a good place? S-Someone told me earlier but I forgot.” Katie had truly forgotten due to her hyperfixation on her fear of men. 

Enji nodded and smiled again, “I do. Would you like to share a meal with me? I will pay as I cannot let such a pretty woman waste her money on me. This is no date, this is simply a warm welcome to your dream.” He walked ahead and bowed a little, his eyes unreadable. 

Katie thanked him quietly and agreed to have dinner with him despite her brain setting off alerts. She paid for her manga and followed Enji out of the shop. The two made small talk over other various series and types of video games they played. “I don’t play many games anymore due to my job, but I’ve wanted a Playstation 4 so bad because of Final Fantasy. It’s my favorite game series aside from Fire Emblem! I don’t have any game consoles so I just watch twitch when I can.” She sadly admitted, taking a seat in the small booth and felt nauseous as Enji sat just a little too close. 

Enji noticed a hooded figure look in their direction before returning to taking bites of sushi into their mouth. He didn’t particularly care to notice Katie’s discomfort and disregarded reading any further into it. Nonchalantly, he placed an arm around her now bare shoulders and felt her tense up. “So since this is your first time in Japan, I am going to give you the best suggestions. I am assuming you know of the delicacies here but this place has really good Okonomiyaki. The Sake is also out of this world.” He smiled, raising his brows. 

The waves of nausea worsened as she felt his arm come around her. Katie couldn’t focus at all except on the desire to vomit and get out of there. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea as she had initially thought and that hooded stranger who kept staring at them unnerved her. “I-I think I’ll try a beer.” She squeaked, swallowing her anxiety. “Actually, Enji I need to use the bathroom really q-quick. I drank a lot of water since getting off the plane.” She got up, rushing to a small restroom and throwing up in the toilet, which thankfully were not squat toilets. Her heart was pounding hard and tears threatened to spill. Enji did not give her good vibes at all and she wished that Pine was here even if she was angry at him. She gagged again and what was left from breakfast was now gone. It was only bile at this point. “J-Jonathan please. Help me.” She whimpered, squatting to her knees and scolding herself at what a stupid decision she made. After a few more moments, she stood up and took a deep breath. She would be ok, she tried to tell herself. Nothing bad would happen as Enji was probably just some pervert. 

“Are you ok? You look like you have just seen Kuchi-sake onna!! Did you tell her that she is so-so? That is the only way to escape her.” Enji laughed a little at his joke, scooting over to let Katie in and pushed her beer to her. “I ordered for you, Katie-chan.” He winked and then rubbed his hands as he saw the food come. While taking a drink of his own beer, he watched the foreign woman from the corner of his eye as she hesitantly took a sip of the beer. 

Katie pulled back slightly and took another sip, impressed by the bold flavor. “I’m fine, thank you. I guess it’s j-just me trying to take in everything. It’s truly a dream.” She laughed nervously. 

The pair stayed there for a few more hours, chatting about life and of course manga. Enji was oddly encouraging Katie to indulge in more alcohol, telling her to let go. She had drunkenly made the mistake of bitching about Pine and how she loved him. Upon hearing this, Enji’s eyes widened and he consciously checked to see if something on himself was showing. The hooded stranger had left after Katie made her last trip to the bathroom to pee from how much liquid she had consumed. This time, she had drank water in between drinks so she was fairly intoxicated but still coherent enough to take care of herself. However, the last drink she had made her feel rather funny but she figured that it was just because this was her final one of the night. She stumbled out of the bathroom with Enji at her side, helping her pull her cardigan on and handing her the manga she purchased earlier. “Careful, Katie chan.” He guided her out of the restaurant and began to lead her off the way back to The Prince Sakura. 

“Enji- I-I feel weird.” Katie panted, her vision going in and out. Panic began to rise in her once more as she realized what was happening. This mother fucker had slipped something into her drink! “Ok I’m good. Leave please.” she weakly tried to get away from Enji, not wanting to cause a scene. She let out a noise between a growl and a whine, trying to shove the man away. “No please don’t-” Katie’s back hit a pile of garbage bags as she was led into an alleyway. “Please don’t.” She begged, feeling her cardigan being ripped off and pants quickly pulled down. 

“Baka Gaijin.” Enji laughed as three others joined him. “Oi, Dare mo konai yō ni shite na.” He barked at some others coming in late. “Kono orokana meinu wa kusuri o nomu no ga totemo kantandeshita.” The hooded man from earlier grinned, pulling his hood down and revealed a rather homely young male. “Travis-san o matsubekidesu ka?” another one asked, whipping his head to panicked noises coming from Katie. 

As if she couldn’t feel more sick, hearing that bastard's name made it all the more worse. “Jonathan, help me. Jonathan.” she slurred, still fighting to stay conscious. Cool air hit her vulva as her panties were cut off. “No.” She pleaded, tears now running down her face. “Jonathan please help me!” She cried out as loudly as she could, praying by some chance that he was here. Grubby hands had a vice like grip on her thighs as her legs were pushed up and her genitals exposed. “Please stop!!” She whimpered, breathing hard and continuing to beg. 

“Aaaa! Travis fuzakeru na!” Enji growled, pulling his hard member out and going to sink into Katie’s unwilling channel before letting out a scream of pain. He turned his head over to a different hooded figure with a knife in hand. “BAKAYAROU!!! KUSO KURAE!!” OMAE KARE O KOGEKI SURU!!!” Enji yanked a throwing knife out of his thigh and shoved Katie aside, pushing his sleeves up and revealing a Bloodroot tattoo. “SHINJIMAE!!” Enji charged at the stranger, pulling a knife out of his own and failing to get a hit in. Within seconds, the “battle” was over as Enji and his goons had been too easy to knock out. 

Pine ripped his hood down and rushed over to Katie, his eyes full of fear. “Katie?! Katie hey, calm down. Shh, shh..” He held her close to his chest, letting her scream cry into his chest. “I’m here. Shhh..” One of his large hands rubbed up and down her back, trying to soothe the traumatized girl. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” He placed a kiss into her hair, holding her as tightly to him as he possibly could. “Let’s get the hell out of here and back to the room.” He mumbled, helping Katie shimmy her pants back on and cardigan. “Are these cartoons yours?” He held up the bag of books and received a nod before scooping her into his arms and carrying the bag around his wrist. Once they reached the hotel, Pine had started a bath for Katie and made sure to check on her every minute in case she threw up. He was slightly thankful that the drug she’d been given was only a mere fraction as potent as some others. Jonathan stuck his hand in to feel the temperature and when it was to a pleasant heat, he turned the water off. “Katie-... Katie please.” He sighed as something worse than walking into the room with her vomiting happened. She had her back turned to him and shoulders ridgid. 

“No. I don’t care, Pine. You do this all the fucking time.” She weeped, her arms folded over her chest. “I went to Tokyo by myself for a fucking reason and it was to get away from  _ you. _ ” Her tone turned slightly venomous. 

“Oh really? So you’re not grateful that I came just in time to rescue you from being raped?! Can’t you show at least a little thanks?!” Jonathan felt his temper begin to boil. 

  
“Can you stop leading me on at least a little?!” She whipped around, more lively than she was beforehand. “Can you stop being such a fucking asshole a-and just tell me that we can’t have feelings? That it’ll get us killed? I know you feel something else for me, Jonathan Pine. I fucking  _ know  _ you do and it hurts because you keep pulling away when I-I feel the same. Those words I said those few nights ago? Just because I was drunk, I wasn’t lying.” Her lower lip quivered and more tears began to fall. Katie’s cheeks became a deep shade of pink as she struggled to tell him those three words. “I love you.” 


	12. Lilac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The price we have to pay for love. 
> 
> Translations at the end

Jonathan shook his head, placing a hand over his mouth and feeling all the air from his lungs leave. He could not process her sober words completely and wanted to call her bluff. Pine knew damn well she wasn't lying. While it felt so good to know how she truly felt and that his feelings were reciprocated, it scared him more. "We can't lead a life like this, Katie." He spoke softly, lowering his hand. "You cannot fall in love with me." He looked into her eyes, a sadness glimmering in his own. 

The brunette scoffed, shaking her head. "So I'm not allowed to love the man who showed me that I don't have to be afraid anymore? I can't control the way I feel for you." Tears streamed down her cheeks and she wiped them with the heels of her palms. "I-I've never been in love, not until I met you." She whispered breathlessly, her body trembling. Katie had her suspicions that Pine felt as she did, but he was too proud to let himself lower down to her level. The girl rose to her feet slowly and walked over to Jonathan, standing only inches apart from him. "I don't care about the difference between our ages, I don't care about the image we could present and I don't care about any other man but you-" 

"It's not about that, Katie." Pine gently took her arms and looked into her eyes. He shook his head, mouth hanging partially open as he wanted to say something but could not. There was nothing more that Jonathan wanted to say but that he loved her too. Although his fear was prevailing his affections. "I will tell you how I feel. I am frightened to the core that I will end up losing you just as I had with Sophie and almost Jed." His jaw clenched slightly. 

"Jonathan I am not either of them-" 

"That's just it though! You will become one of them if I allow whatever is between us to come to fruition." He released her arms and turned his back on her, biting his lip. "I'm tired of my games too." He sighed deeply and thought to himself for a moment. A wry smile spread across his face as he thought of the life he wanted to have with her. No more danger, a cozy inn doubling as their home on the countryside side that they run together, settling down, having a family… It was all but a dream. Jonathan turned around to face her and felt a tear slip down his cheek. "I do not want to lose another person that I truly care about. I will not recover if you die." He swallowed a sob and stood firm. Those green eyes he so adored glittered in the rooms light, wide with awe. "That is why we cannot be. We live a life sworn to protect others that love is just a fake concept, a disguise to get us further into the mission. You cannot continue to allow your emotions to take hold, Katie.” He shook his head, wanting so desperately to reciprocate her feelings. This was absolute hell to Jonathan, but if it was to keep her safe then he would do what is necessary. He couldn’t lose her as it would be his final breaking point. 

“And what about you?” Katie pursed her lips, tears brimming her eyes again. She was so damn confused about the words he spoke. “If you feel the same way as I d-do then you’re just tormenting yourself. Jonathan,  _ please.  _ I’m begging you to stop holding things above yourself that are out of your control.” She grabbed his forearm gently, staring deep into his baby blues. “There is nothing you can do about the past! What’s done is done and you need to move on!! I moved on and forgave you about Cam! I came to an understanding that being mad at someone who tried to save my brother wasn’t going to get me any further in life. You need to  _ let go. _ ” She continued to press on, determined to pull Jonathan out of the dark place he seemed reluctant to walk away from. The room became silent as the two spies stared at each other for a moment. All that could be heard was the occasional sniffle and soft breathing. Katie gasped softly as Jonathan backed her into the wall, trapping her. She swore if her heart beat any harder, Pine would hear it thumping within her chest. 

Jonathan closed his eyes for a moment, resting his arm on the wall above the brunette woman. He took a deep breath in through his nostrils and thought about her words. Slowly, he opened his eyes and his brows knit together at the expression on Katie’s face. “Don’t look at me like that.” He whispered, his free hand coming up as he dragged his knuckles gently down her cheek. “Katie-” her name came out in a breathy exhale from his lips as he leaned forward. “I can’t.” He shut his eyes again and clenched his jaw, resisting his feelings. Flashbacks of the night he found Sophie bombarded his mind and a tear slid down his cheek. His hands came down, cupping the American woman’s face as if he was going to kiss her. He felt one of her hands cradle his own and held back a smile from the gesture. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.” He choked out, tears falling freely now. Jonathan released her face and quickly turned his broad back to her, walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge of it. “I-I thought that when I first met you that maybe I’d come to see you as a little sister.” He sobbed, looking up at her with a teary gaze. “I do not see you like that. I never expected to see you as I do now.” He held a hand up, covering his eyes and feeling ashamed to cry in front of her. 

This was just as much of a confession that Katie would receive from Pine tonight. She swiftly walked over to the emotional ex soldier and held him as he wept. Katie urged him to sit with her properly so she could cradle his head on her chest. Making him cry was never an intent of the brunette’s and it hurt her to see him like this. She figured that since he most likely felt the same, it would take him a bit longer to actually say the three words she so badly wanted to hear from him. Strong arms wrapped tightly around the girl’s frame as she continued to hold Jonathan. She ran her fingers through his short, dark blonde locks and cooed to him while he cried into her chest. Damn the bath he had drawn for her, that could wait an eternity as comforting Pine was more important than washing herself of the horrible day she’s had. “I don’t want you to get hurt either.” She pressed a kiss on his head, her other hand rubbing up and down his back. The tears that Jonathan shed from his emotional back up dripped on Katie’s skin, wetting her chest. “I never wanted for you to cry, I’m so sorry. This was not my intention at all. I’m sorry for falling in love with you.” 

\----------------------

Abbadon removed her shoes as she stepped into the home of Masayuki Kibutsuji. She turned around, raising her brow at her henchmen as they followed her lead but with their shoes on. “Do you not have any respect? It is rude to wear your shoes in one’s home. Take them off.” she snapped, rolling her eyes at their silent apology. The auburn haired woman wanted nothing more than to leave this beautiful traditional Japanese home as there was filth deep inside of this pristine building. The trio began their journey into the home as soon as the henchmen took their shoes off. Abbadon knew her way around as it was not her first time being there from all the meetings that Belladonna and her former Wolfsbane held with Wisteria. “Ugh, that pig never changes.” She muttered under her breath as she heard sounds of unwilling women crying out for help from the assault of Masayuki’s goons. The former leader of Wolfsbane did not know any Japanese, but she had come to the conclusion that “tatsukete” meant “help” in the language for all the times she had heard it. 

Many illegal firearms and other various weapons lined the walls of the home as the three walked through the halls. Abbadon turned her attention to the gorgeous courtyard within the center, and noticed that even the beauty of the garden had been tainted by violence. Several Yakuza members were piling crates of hazardous explosives in the garden along with more firearms. The auburn haired woman wondered how in the hell they managed to get all that into Japan seeing as the country had no tolerance for such weaponry. Shaking her head, she carried onward while giving a scoff in disgust. Finally, she reached the decorated screen door of Masayuki’s main room and slid it open with quick force. A smile spread across her lips as she saw the heir to the Kibutsuji clan stand up in surprise with a perverse smile of his own. 

“Abbey-chan!” He clapped his hands together and stepped down from his place on yet more crates which presumably contained more weapons. “Come in, come in! Oi-” He snapped his fingers to some of the lazier looking goons, “Meiyo aru gesuto ni keishoku o.” 

The goons looked up, blinking slowly and stretching. One of them even yawned and turned over to go back to sleep. 

“Nani o matteimasu ka?! Ima anata wa meinu no musuko ni ikimasu!! HAIYAKU!!" Masayuki barked, sighing loudly and rubbing his hand down his face. "Nantekotta, bakageta yarō wa kesshite kikanai." The Yakuza lord mumbled after his men left the room in a rush. Masayuki's attention returned back to Abbadon as well as the previous dirty smile. "I deeply apologize my dear Abbey-chan." He took another step forth, bowing to her in utmost respect. "Sometimes my men are defiant and would rather sleep on the job. They do not like being cooped up in here and would rather be out in the streets of our country. I have called for refreshments as you are my honored guests! Come, come. Have a seat…" he led them over to some traditional zen pillows. Dark, lusty eyes flicked up at Abbadon and the Yakuza lord winked at her. "You of course may sit on my lap if you so choose, my bijin~" he chuckled mischievously. 

Abbadon looked at Masayuki in disgust before clicking her tongue. “I appreciate your avidity to have my very being sit on your depraved form, but I will respectfully decline. I would actually rather love to drop this topic all together and speak to you for what I am truly here for-” She held her hand up just as he was about to speak out of turn, “Do not flatter yourself, Masayuki. I did not come for sightseeing or to check in with you.” Her hand snatched the cup of wine provided to her without looking. Honey brown eyes glanced down at the red substance and she lifted the glass up to smell it. Her nose crinkled at the scent as he had chosen something she hated. Abbadon flicked her gaze back up at Masayuki and her face remained stone cold. “You have means of transportation to Zhangjiajie where my son is being held prisoner.” She set the glass down and glared at the Yakuza lord. 

Masayuki scratched his chin and chuckled at her moxy. “Ahh Daniel-san has been slippery with his information has he? More careful he must be when testing the wrath of a mother. The dragon within rears her head and snaps her ferocious jaws shut on those who harm her brood.” He stands up, pacing the tatami floor of the room. “Such tenacity is admirable, Abbey-chan.” He stops his pace, grinning at her. 

“I am not here to listen to your moronic riddles, Masayuki!” Abbadon stands up in turn, her hand reaching back to the very ironic gun she has hidden on her person. She did not mean to disrespect the no gun policy, but if she had to do it in order to get her son then she would do anything. “Tell me where the boat is  _ NOW _ .” she whips the gun out, her henchmen following her lead in short and spilling the wine on the tatami. 

“Tsk, how very rude! I offer you hospitality and even a chance to sleep with the greatest Yakuza lord in all of Japan. Instead, you threaten me with your silly pistols and spill my wine on the expensive tatami floor.” Masayuki’s tone changed and he snapped his fingers again. “Uragirimono o kakomimasuga, demo utanaide kudasai!” He spoke loudly. Around twenty Yakuza men stormed into the room, guns pointed and ready at the three foreigners. “I can see why Wolfsbane now belongs to that husband of yours. Daniel-san had suspicions that you would eventually break free of your temporary hold in Russia. He knew that you would come here looking for a way to get to China, since you and The Tigress do not see eye to eye. Again, I admire the fierce tenacity a mother dragon has for her young.” He grinned at her. The crime lord raised his hand, signaling his men to lower their guns. “Now, I have an offer for you, my bijin. I will let you walk out of here no harm done and I will not tell Daniel-san of your whereabouts, but you owe me something in return.” 

“If it’s sleeping with your disgusting self then forget it.” Abbadon scoffed. 

Masayuki pretended to be offended by her words with a dramatic gasp, “Oh you wound me so! How will I ever recover from such a brutal attack!?” He snapped his head back in her direction and chuckled again. “Actually, believe it or not, that was not what I want of you.” He placed his hands behind his back, rocking on his heels. “You have friends staying in The Prince Sakura do you not?” 

Abbadon’s heart stopped for a moment and a bead of sweat rolled down her pale face. “I wouldn’t exactly call them friends, but yes, I do.” 

“Ahh, yes I’m so glad you are cooperating. You would be surprised at how many people I have under my thumb all across the country. The front desk girl is one of my many whores, but enough of my boasting. You see, Bloodroot is currently residing just down the hall from here as I have so graciously taken them in. They have more respect than yourself as they do not purposely spill wine on flooring that is centuries old nor refuse my offer of pleasures.” He paused, picking at some dried blood from underneath his fingernails. “Travis-san, Bloodroots leader, wants the girl that you have a soft spot for. That is his former lover and he has not been pleased with any other women for the past few years.” He continues to pick at his nails before being completely satisfied. Masayuki looked up and laughed at the horrified expression Abbadon tried to hide. 

Katie never went into full detail as to what happened between her and Travis, but it was enough to make Abbadon’s blood run cold. Her situation reminded the auburn haired woman of her own struggle with the man she was forced to marry. There was no love at all between them, it was solely political and miserable. Despite her husband forcing himself on her, Abbadon considered her pregnancy with Nikolai a blessing. When Ulrich, her husband, had found out she was with child, he would beat her until she miscarried. Nikolai was the 10th pregnancy she had that survived Ulrich’s torture. Her son was the only reason for her continued existence. She held her breath as Masayuki stepped closer to her and smiled widely. 

“He is very bored of the women he has slept with after Katie-chan. No one screams like she does, begs for him to stop like she does, blacks out mid fuck like she does, chokes from his grasp like she does, convulses-” 

“ENOUGH!!” Abbadon screeched, her mind flooded with memories of Ulrich doing the exact same things to herself. The auburn haired woman’s heart beat painfully for Katie and she could only hope that she would escape unscathed. “Just tell me what you want from me and I will do it. So long as my son is not hurt or Daniel is told of where I am.” Tears burned her honey brown eyes and she collapsed to the floor. Her henchmen dove down, placing their hands on her back and shoulders to provide comfort. The grief stricken mother began to weep silently, praying for her son and Katie’s safety. 

The smile that Masayuki once had on his face was wiped clean off as he sneered at Abbadon’s sobbing form. “Bring me Jonathan Pine and Katelyn O’Connor. Your brother has given me the opportunity to take Pine dead and is rewarding me with a handsome price for his death. Travis is also offering me an added bonus for Katie-chan. He’s very willing to share her.” The nasty smile crept back up on the crime lord’s face complimented by a sinister, cold laugh. 

Abbadon’s heart broke for the young woman and she silently agreed to the Yakuza lord’s bidding. If there was any loophole that she could find so that Katie would not get hurt further, or even Pine being killed, she would search far and wide. She had faith in the pair that they would help her find Nikolai and bring him back safely. It was time for her to play devil’s advocate. 

\------------------------

Two weeks had passed since the emotional struggle between Pine and Katie had occurred. Jonathan said nothing more about the situation and was reluctant to bring it up as he tried his best to forget it. Katie seemed to be in the same mindset, but was more bothered by the radio silence. The best thing for the both of them right now was to focus on the mission at hand and do as Pine had said; fake their feelings. During this time, the pair came up with nothing new on finding Wisteria’s whereabouts along with Bloodroots. When the latter was even brought up, Katie clung tightly to Jonathan as bad memories surfaced. Despite their silent vow of faking it until they made it, Pine would never deny Katie comfort from her disturbing past relationship. It was the same with Katie never denying Jonathan her chest to lay on when he too suffered from memories of long ago. 

Since nothing was turning up, Katie begged Jonathan to let them have at least one day of fun and travel to Himeji castle. The brunette won after consistent pestering and even told Pine that Yakata Matsuri was taking place. She had researched it beforehand as a means to try and attend at least one festival. “Hmmm…” she pondered, looking through some visiting Kimono and trying to decide which one to buy. 

“Katie,  _ please. _ ” Jonathan groaned slightly. 

“What? Can’t I look? It’s only been an hour!” She frowned at him, turning her attention back to the Kimono at hand. 

“Yeah, an hour too long.” He muttered in reply before turning on his heel and seeing a rather pretty visiting Kimono. Having his attention captured by something so gorgeous, he walked forth to it and examined it. “Katie, have a look at this one. I think you’d like it.” Jonathan called out to the short brunette. 

“You’re just saying that because you don’t wanna shop any-” She stopped as she saw the Kimono Pine was referring to. “Oh wow.” she said, walking to it and taking it between her fingers. The Kimono was a simple pink with red and white flowers patterned on the bottom and traveling upwards slightly. The Obi and sash were of a gold, red, and white coloring. Katie turned around, looking at Jonathan with a smile. “This couldn’t be any more perfect! It’s stunning! You’ve got some good taste.” She elbowed him and gave a wink before heading to the counter to purchase the Kimono. 

A faint blush caressed Pine’s cheeks from her flirtatious gesture. Perhaps after holding back for a bit, he could indulge just a bit in some fun. He smiled as Katie turned around, excitement sparkling in those green eyes he adored. “Happy?” Jonathan pulled out his wallet and walked to the counter as well, handing his visa to the cashier as soon as she was done boxing the clothing up. 

Katie frowned and tried to grab the credit card from him, “Don’t buy it for me!! I have enough to purchase it.” She shut her eyes tightly, huffing through her nostrils as Jonathan ruffled her short hair. 

“What? I can’t buy a cute girl something she likes?” Pine flashed a devilishly handsome smile and returned the wink at her. This was a dangerous line he was playing with and he had to be absolutely careful of just how much he was willing to show. 

The pair left the shop with not just the Kimono but 2 Yukatas as well. Katie had pressured Jonathan into wearing a Yukata and even promised him she would help him out. It was interesting to find him one given he is much taller than the average Japanese man, but eventually they found something for him. While packing for the small trip, Katie called a hotel nearby Himeji castle to make reservations. They began to walk out of The Prince Sakura when the front desk manager stopped them. "Keiko-San, dou shimashita ka?" Katie tilted her head at the woman's worried expression. 

"A-Anata wa okonatte wa ikemasen!!" The woman, Keiko, pleaded. Her eyes seemed to dart back and forth between the pair. “Karera wa kite imasu!! G-gomenasai!! Gomenasai-” The manager began to sob frantically before falling forward with the sound of a gunshot following. 

Heavy footsteps echoed in the lobby with several others behind. “Well now isn’t that a damn shame.” a deep voice spoke. 

“Jonathan… Jonathan!” Katie pulled at his sleeve, beginning to hyperventilate and shake. “Jonathan d-don’t let him take me.” Her eyes were wide and full of fear and fresh tears began to roll down her cheeks. 

As soon as the owner of the voice came into Pine’s view, he pulled Katie close to him and pressed her face against his chest. “I’ve got you.” His eyes narrowed at the man and he held the girl a little more closely. “I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.” He whispered to her, his brain now wracking with ways to escape. 

“Aww how cute! Little Katie’s found a new boyfriend.” Travis spat on the floor and leered back at Pine, nodding. “Useless isn’t she?” He raised his brows at the man holding his ex girlfriend. “She can’t even fight back because I’ve conditioned her to be that way unless she wants to be punished.” The brunette man threw his head back in laughter, then returned to his normal posture and snapped his fingers. Around four other men came in and had other innocent people get on the ground before mercilessly pulling their triggers. 

Jonathan held Katie closer to him as she screamed from the noise of people being killed and gunfire. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He shook his head, feeling the brunette woman trembling hard. “Those people had nothing to do with this!!” 

Travis walked over to the victims, pickpocketing their corpses. “They had everything to do with it. All part of the plan in motion, Mr. Pine. Oh don’t act so surprised, I’ve heard about you and how you took down Roper.” He pointed an accusatory finger at Jonathan and began to circle the pair. “Unfortunately for you, I’m younger than Roper and won’t be so easy to take down.” He stopped, clapping his hands together. “Now, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way. Give me my sweet Katie and you’ll die, I’m not letting Masayuki get that chance to kill you. The hard way is that little Katie gets hurt while I forcefully take her from you and then I’ll kill you slower. I make up the rules here.” He tapped his temple and laughed wickedly. Katie’s ex was a psychotic mess with no chance of redemption. Travis had come from a rough home to begin with and was heavily bullied as a child until one day, he had enough. It was a bloodbath in his childhood home; parents stabbed multiple times and brother decapitated. Somehow, he was never caught and was always clean with his crimes no matter how messy they got. When Katie had entered his life, she thought she was someone who could help him but quickly found out he was past the point of help. “Mmm I’m so hard right now from hearing you scream, baby. You know that I love those horrified screams.” He began to walk closer and pulled his gun back out, firing it. 

“FUCK!!” Pine cried out, feeling the bullet hit him in the shoulder and forcing him to loosen his hold on Katie. His mind entered war mode and tactics he had learned in the military began to come back. “KATIE RUN!! GO!!” He shoved her in the opposite direction and looked at her with pleading eyes before feeling another bullet lodge into his chest. 

“JONATHAN NO!!” She screamed, terrified to the core and frozen in place. Katie couldn’t hear anything but her heartbeat in her ears. Fear had taken her over, past memories had her rendered solid. “Move… Move…” She grit her teeth, trying to tear her gaze from Travis who was now in a fist fight with Jonathan. “MOVE!!” She shut her eyes, slipping a bit before taking off into a sprint and dodging the grasp of Travis’s goons. Katie saw an opportunity with the courtyard to give her some coverage and sharply turned into the garden. “Remember your training, come on!!” She muttered quietly, fishing her pocket knife out of her boot she wore. Her hands shook as she unsheathed it, heart racing as she prepared herself to fight for her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meiyo aru gesuto ni keishoku o. - Get our honored guests some refreshments 
> 
> Nani o matteimasu ka?! Ima anata wa meinu no musuko ni ikimasu!! HAIYAKU!! - What are you waiting for!? Go now you sons of bitches!! HURRY UP!!
> 
> Nantekotta, bakageta yarō wa kesshite kikanai. - God damn, dumb bastards never listen 
> 
> Uragirimono o kakomimasuga, demo utanaide kudasai - Surround the traitors, but do not shoot. 
> 
> Dou shimashita ka? - Is everything ok? 
> 
> A-Anata wa okonatte wa ikemasen - You must not go! 
> 
> Karera wa kite imasu - They are coming!! 
> 
> Gomenasai - I'm sorry.


	13. Bloodroot p. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A voice of the past

“Come out, come out wherever you are little girl~” One of Travis’s thugs chimed out, holding his gun out and motioning the other three to follow in short. “Careful, she might have a bit of a bite.” He joked to his comrades. The garden was huge and not only had large rocks for Katie to hide behind, but also some various trees. “Get ready to shoot if she’s up in the trees, but do not kill her or the boss will kill us instead.” The goon said, scanning the area. 

A splashing noise had them all turn around to the area of where the koi pond was. “Zac what the hell was that?” Another cronie panicked and looked around frantically, holding his gun close. 

“Come on Andrew, you  _ cannot _ be serious. She’s a girl without any defenses and no back up, you really think she’s gonna get you? Dumb ass.” Zac shook his head and turned to the other two, Dylan and Jimmy. He nodded in separate directions and grinned, “She can’t hide forever…” He put his gun away and stopped in the middle of the garden, holding his arms out. “Listen sweetie, as much as I enjoy a good game this is gonna get nasty real quick if you don’t cooperate with us.” He spoke loud and clear. 

“Zac, we’ve got about twenty minutes until authorities arrive. I’ve already notified-” Jimmy began to speak before he was interrupted by a sudden dragging noise. The dirty haired man looked around, pushing his glasses up, “Where did Dylan go?” He spoke slowly. 

“See! I  _ was _ right Zac!! I fucking saw it coming!! We can’t underestimate females one bit!!” Andrew panicked, letting his anxiety get the better of him. 

“That’s fucking right!” Katie came around the corner, holding her knife to Dylan’s throat and using him as a human shield. “You shouldn’t underestimate me. Just because your boss fucked me up doesn’t mean I can’t break free of his control.” She growled, pressing the blade harder against Dylan’s throat. Never before had the brunette ever actually killed another person and she wanted to avoid that at all cost. Death was something that she didn’t do well with, no matter who it was. Her breathing became a little harder as she noticed the others begin to make a formation around her. “TAKE A STEP NEAR ME AND I’LL SLIT HIS THROAT!!” She screeched, eyes wide and full of fear. 

Dylan began to squirm, trying to use his height to his advantage and eventually succeeding. He broke free of Katie’s hold only to have her knife lodged in the back of his neck. “YOU BITCH!!” He screamed, falling to the ground. 

“FUCK WHAT TRAVIS SAYS! KILL THIS LITTLE BITCH!!” Zac pointed to her, pulling out his gun and firing an entire clip at her. Andrew and Jimmy followed in short before Zac pointed to Jimmy. “YOU STAY OUTTA THIS IN CASE SHE MANAGES TO-” He couldn’t finish as a shot was fired and pierced right through his brain, killing him instantly. No one knew where the hell that shot came from and it sent the surviving three in a panic. 

Out of nowhere, Katie tackled Jimmy to the ground as she took him out from his legs. She had taken cover behind the large rock in the knick of time just as Zac had begun to empty his clip. Using her training, she wrapped her arms tightly around Jimmy’s thighs and somersaulted forward; throwing him as hard as she could. Another shot was fired, taking Jimmy out and causing Katie to take cover when yet another gunshot sounded off. 

“KNOCK THIS OFF!! WHOEVER’S SHOOTING AT US, GIMME A MINUTE!!” Dylan roared, ripping Katie’s blade out of his neck and whipping it at her. 

“A-AAGH!!” She fell to the ground, clenching her teeth as Dylan had landed a lucky shot to her right leg. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck- UGH!” A fist slammed across Katie’s face and she was sent flying backwards a bit. Her back skid across the stones in the garden and head hitting a large boulder near the koi pond. More pain seared through her body as Dylan was punching her as hard as he could, knowing that she couldn’t fight back. Suddenly, sharp pain started to prick her in certain places on her body as the knife was ripped from her leg. She began to scream from being stabbed, crying out for help of any sort. The next thing she knew was that her head was forced under the water and being held there. She could feel blood leaking from her body and Dylan’s large hands wrapped tightly around her throat as he held her underwater. This was it- This was the end of her life and it was subsequently by the hands of Travis in the most indirect way. She was too weak to fight back and her vision began to go in and out, inhaling water as she was desperate to breathe. 

CRACK!

The pressure of Dylan’s hands suddenly released, causing Katie to inhale more water as she was too weak to move. She managed to hear a faint thudding noise as Dylan’s body dropped beside her, motionless. With her vision now completely blacking out, Katie mouthed Jonathan’s name to the best of her ability and gave into the drowning darkness. At least her last thoughts were of the man who had stolen her heart. 

“Well, we can’t have that now can we.” A british man’s voice sounded through the garden and he walked towards Katie, staring at her for a moment before hoisting the drowning girl from the pond. “Sorry Pine, I’m afraid I’ll have to kiss your girl to save her. Although, I’m certainly no prince charming; not in the slightest.” Roper chortled to himself, bending down and performing CPR to bring Katie back from a watery death. 

\--------

Jonathan slammed his fist across Travis’s face, dodging the other man’s swings as best as he could. Not too long ago, Pine had knocked the gun from Travis and thus ensued an exchange of fists. He panted hard, exhaustion becoming apparent from the amount of energy he exerted fighting Travis. 

“What’s the matter old man? Can’t fight anymore?” Katie’s ex grinned wickedly, panting just as hard. “I’ve got all day!” Travis lifted his leg, swinging it and knocking Jonathan prone. Having the upperhand, Travis marched over to Pine and stomped on his chest. He dug his heel into his ribs and laughed as he heard a satisfying crunching noise accompanied by Jonathan’s scream. “We aren’t so different, you and I.” He grinned, stomping again and breaking another rib. Travis socked Pine across the face over and over as he heard him attempt to speak. “YOU LISTEN TO ME WHEN I’M TALKING!! I don’t give a shit about respecting elders, I’m the alpha around here.” He gave one last good hit across Jonathan’s face before being satisfied. 

Everything hurt, his body ached from all the straining and exertion he had been forced to use. This was exactly like the time he had “rescued” Dans, Roper's son. “Don’t hurt her.” He muttered. “Please. Don’t hurt.” He choked a little from snot and blood before being grabbed by the front of his shirt and hoisted up. Through beaten eyes, he could hardly see Travis’s sick smirk. He could care less about what was said before, all he could think about was getting to Katie and saving her. 

“Now, as I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me.” Travis chuckled, examining his fingernails on his other hand. “We’re very much from the same coin, you saw some fucked up shit in war and I saw some fucked up shit growing up. We were forced to make a decision and kill.” He nodded to himself and clicked his tongue. “It’s not gonna be long before you finally snap yourself, Pine. You’ll be driven mad with the thought of her  _ leaving _ you and will come up with more creative ways to control her. That’s what I had to do, little fox was always trying to run away from her alpha. Cunning thing she is, so sweet and innocent… So fun to break and toy with.” He flicked his dark eyes up, noticing Andrew scurrying back in with a panicked look. Travis frowned and dropped Jonathan, placing his foot down on his head and pushing his weight on him. “What the fuck is it? Where’s Katie?” 

Andrew let out a sob and began to wail incoherently, pointing back and blubbering something about a shooter. “Dylan, Zac, ‘n Jim are allgoneandIhadtogetoutbeforehegotmetoothepolicearecomingand-” a firm slap was branded across his face as Travis had grown tired of his whines. 

“Will you just shut up! Fuck, you’re such a pussy!! Fine. I guess you get a pass, Pine. I can only hope that my Katie is still breathing.” There again was the sick smirk as sirens blared in the background. “I can’t wait for the next time we meet.” Travis waved and grabbed Andrew by the arm, pulling him out of the fray. 

Pine coughed hard, vision blurred from blood and sweat. “Kate… Please…” His voice was stuffy from his broken, bloodied nose. Jonathan closed his tired eyes, shedding tears that stung the cuts on his face. “Kate.” He kept mumbling her name over and over, praying she was safe. A slew of footsteps entered into the lobby but only a foreign language was spoken. Gloved hands began to assess the damage done to Jonathan, muffled Japanese clogging his hearing. 

“Does anyone speak English?” An all too familiar voice caught Jonathan’s attention in the worst way. 

Jonathan turned his head slowly, opening his eyes and taking in a rattly breath from what he was able to make out. “No. Kate.” He cried, seeing Roper walk past him with Katie’s motionless and bleeding body in his arms. “Please, Roper. Please.” He croaked, looking up at his enemy while being treated. 

“Oh dear.” Richard grimaced at Pine. “You look exactly the way I found you back in Spain 2 years ago. Tsk, nasty habit you have.” He handed Katie over to paramedics and nodded at them. “Too bad I won’t be requiring your services anytime soon as my trust in you is completely gone. Although, I do have some news…” He knelt down, giving Jonathan a pat against his wounded cheek and received a whine from the wounded man. “Oh come off it. You know better than to whine like a little girl, Pine. Fortunately, we have a common enemy.” He paused, looking at Jonathan to see if he was still listening. 

“Kate-” Jonathan coughed, whining again from the pain in his chest. 

Richard frowned at his persistence of the girl. “She’ll be fine, only ten stab wounds and nothing fatal. She did take a bit of a swim though and I had to play Baywatch for just a tick until she drew breath again.” He got up, following the paramedics and watching Pine get loaded onto a stretcher. “Seeing as you don’t want to pay any attention to vital news I have, I will be contacting you later. Oh and by the way, your hospital fees are covered by yours truly. Consider this one last favor from me to you, toodles.” 

\-----------------------------

“Did you get him?” Abbadon asked, folding her arms over her chest as Roper walked into the teahouse, taking a seat across from her. 

“Mmm, no. He was busy having a tussle with Pine so I couldn’t get to him.” Richard pulled his cigarette carton out, pulling a stick from it and offering one to Abbadon. 

She waved her hand and shook her head no, “I quit eleven years ago when I found I was pregnant with my son. I promised myself I wouldn’t return to that nasty habit.” Abbadon admitted genuinely. Never in her life did she ever think she’d be working with Richard Roper of all people. Sure, they were cut out from the same cloth in terms of business, as much as she hated to be in it, but she was unaware that he also wanted to bring Daniel down. 

Shrugging, Roper lit his cigarette and took a drag from it. “So,” He turned his head away, blowing smoke in the opposite direction, “What’s with you and wanting Travis dead? I thought you’d want that slimy little bastard taken care of first… Or whatever the hell the bitch over in Korea is named. I heard you two have gotten into cat fights.” He mused to himself and eyed Abbadon, teasing her slightly. 

The auburn haired woman snorted in amusement, “I wouldn’t exactly call them “cat fights” so much as an actual fist fight. I am no angst ridden school girl despite how troubled I am.” She looked up at their waiter and nodded in thanks as the tea was delivered. Carefully, Abbadon took the kettle and poured her scalding hot tea into her cup and set it down. She tested the intensity of the heat with her upper lip before taking a sip. “Ah, excellent.” She spoke to herself, setting down the cup. “Why I want him dead is because he is obsessed with Katelyn. He reminds me much of Ulrich, my bastard of a husband. The things I was told of what he had done to her is too reminiscent of my own situation. Thankfully, Ulrich is not obsessed with me and would rather not have anything to do with me.” She paused for a moment before returning to her original plan of action. “She and Pine are the only hope I have of getting my son back.” She looked at Roper with a rather wistful expression. “Certainly you can understand me, no? You have a child of your own?” She raised her eyebrows, grabbing her tea cup and taking another sip. 

Taking another puff of his cigarette, Roper nodded and sighed. Smoke jetted from his nostrils as he did so, “Yes, I do. I also have a son whom I care about despite what his bitch of a mother thinks.” He spoke of his ex wife bitterly. “Anyways, what you’re getting at is that you commiserate with Pine’s girl? Cute little lass she is.” 

“Yes.” 

“Mhm. Abuse… I have no right to make any commentary on that seeing as I am also one who isn’t the most kind lover.” He cleared his throat, wanting to avoid that subject. “Now, the money if you please.” He held his hand out and took the payment Abbadon handed over. “Never thought I’d get to use my hitman skills ever again. I must say, I had fun with it though I nearly shot Miss O’Connor.” He stopped counting the bills as he noticed Abbadon look at him with rage. “I wasn’t intending to aim for her, I left her be just as you wanted. Poor thing almost inhaled a koi fish.” He placed his cigarette between his lips and resumed counting. “If it weren’t for me she would literally be swimming with the fishes.” 

Abbadon huffed, taking another sip of her tea and leering at the man sitting across from her. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t joke about her like that. I want her to live the life that I could never have, please be more considerate.” She finished her tea and stood, turning to leave. “I wish that our paths wouldn’t cross again, but unfortunately we share a common enemy. Until next we meet, Richard.” 

\-----------------------

Sleep would not come to Jonathan that night as he tossed and turned uncomfortably with IVs and a ventilator to help oxygen get into one of his collapsed lungs. “No. No- Katie don’t go.” His voice was hoarse but laced with pain and devastation. Jonathan’s eyes were shut but he was trapped in a nightmare of losing Katie to Travis. “Stop, no don’t hurt her.” He continued to cry, causing the machine monitoring his vitals to beep as his heart rate increased. 

“Mr. Redwood? Are you alright?” A nurse walked in, eyes full of worry as she saw the pained man. Stephanie Nakamura was placed in charge of Jonathan as she was the only one there at the moment, who spoke English fluently. She was of American and Japanese descent but decided to live in Japan to find her roots. “Mr. Redwood?” She called again and began to take measures in case things decided to go wrong. 

Jonathan and Katie had been given new aliases courtesy of Richard Roper. He still wanted them to play the game and carried on with the whole “tree” last name scheme. Jonathan went by “Todd Redwood” and Katie by “Kit Redwood”. Apparently Richard thought it would be funny to also throw in an animal into their names; the fox. 

Gasping, Pine shuddered hard and coughed in pain. His eyes shot open and he looked around in worry, “Where? Where is she?” He asked in a rough voice and looked at Stephanie with panic. “Where’s Katie?” He was not yet aware of the aliases at hand. 

“Katie? I thought your wife’s name was Kit… Hmm maybe Kit is a variant of Katie?” Stephanie thought to herself before catching Pine trying to get up from the corner of her eye. “NO!! Mr. Redwood you mustn’t get up!!” She forced him back down and pressed her call button for help as he just would not stop struggling. “You shouldn’t speak either, your lung is not healed at all!” She looked over her shoulder and saw some nurses enter the room. Speaking in her native tongue, she asked for assistance with Jonathan and had him sedated for the night. “Poor man. He really is worried about his wife…” 

\-------------------

For the next two weeks, Jonathan struggled to go see Katie. He learned that while no vital organs were hit, she still had lost a lot of blood. Also, due to her inhaling a ton of water she was being monitored for any further damage. The only times that she would wake up were to scream out for help, her eyes were shut the entire time. Those screams broke Jonathan’s heart as he knew she was reliving the nightmare she went through with Travis, and now this. What made things worse was that she cried out for Cameron to save her and to not leave her. Once Pine was well enough, Stephanie allowed him to sit by Katie’s bedside. Not once did he leave her side and let go of her hand. Here he was now, sitting beside her and holding her hand. “Katie please wake up.” His thumb rubbed her hand, tears stinging his eyes. “Please.” He bowed his head, resting it on the bed. “I can’t lose you.” 

At those words, Katie’s fingers twitched and caused Jonathan to look up. “Jon...nathan.. Jon..” his name came out softly from her lips. She repeated his name brokenly and in a hushed tone, tears of her own sliding down her cheeks. “Thank… You… watching her..” 

Pine’s brow knit together and he scooted closer to her, wondering if she was losing her mind. “What? What do you mean?” 

“You… Protect her.... Cherish..” A soft smile formed on her lips despite her eyes being closed. “Little fox.” 

There was no way. Jonathan couldn’t believe what he was hearing and immediate doubt settled in. He didn’t believe much in the paranormal but what she was saying sounded like Cameron was communicating through her. With some hesitation, Pine swallowed hard and pondered if he should even give the silly idea a chance. “C...C-Cam?” He whispered. 

Katie nodded very faintly, the smile still on her face. “Take care… her heart... Thank you, my brother.” The brunette suddenly fell limp, the smile fading from her face and monitor flatlining. 

“KATIE NO!! SOMEONE HELP!! NO!! NO!!” Jonathan screamed, standing upright and beginning to sob. “NO DON’T YOU LEAVE ME!! SOMEONE!! HELP-” He stopped as he heard Katie gasp loudly and the machine coming back with her vitals. 

Wide green eyes stared into blue ones and before Katie knew it, she felt Pine’s arms wrap around her and his wet face buried into the crook of her neck.


	14. Red Tulip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY THE PART EVERYONE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR!! 
> 
> SMUT.

“I cannot believe I had to fly my ass all the way over here just to see if you two were still alive!” Angela huffed, folding her arms over her chest. The Director had just arrived in Japan shortly after Pine and Katie were released from the hospital. She hadn’t heard back from either of them at all and became increasingly worried. “You both are idiots, you know that?” She raised her brows at the pair. Her dark brown eyes flicked over to Katie and she gave her an equally stern, motherly look. “Welcome to the family by the way, you’re officially one of my grown children now.” 

Jonathan looked around, watching to see if anyone looked like they were eavesdropping. “Can we take this conversation somewhere a bit more private, Angela?” He said in a hushed tone and nodded his head back to the airbnb that they were now residing in. Seeing that Angela agreed, he followed Katie back inside of their temporary home. “You didn’t  _ have  _ to fly yourself out here for our sake.” He glanced over at Katie who left to go to the kitchen to grab beverages. Even in close spaces, Pine found himself constantly watching the brunette like a hawk as his fear of losing her, had kicked into overdrive. They were extremely lucky to have survived what happened to them but, now this little incident had put them in greater danger. 

While in the kitchen preparing coffee and tea, Katie heard Pine and Angela arguing over the events that had taken place just two weeks ago. She shut her eyes tightly, shoulders tensing up at the memory of Travis and the way he looked at her. The brunette opened her eyes back up and stared at the nasty scar on her wrist where she had attempted to end her own life. Other self inflicted scars littered her inner forearms as Travis had made her believe everything was her fault. She almost felt hollow inside, like there was nothing left to cry over or be upset. “He had his chance.” She muttered under her breath and turned on her heel, setting a timer on her phone for the boiling water. Entering back into the living room, Katie felt the need to drag her hand across Pine’s back and rub it as a sort of comfort. An odd warmth surged through her body as she did so. 

“Oh, hey are you alright? Is something wrong?” Pine became slightly startled by her odd affectionate touch and turned around to look at her. 

Katie shook her head and continued to gently run her fingers over his back in circles as she stood beside him. “I just saw you were tense and thought you might need to relax. I’ve put the kettle on the stove for tea.” She smiled softly. 

Angela looked between the two of them and raised a brow, “I see that you two are still playing your roles or? I don’t recommend that you actually date right now if that’s the case.” 

The spies shifted awkwardly and Katie ceased her caresses, taking a seat next to Jonathan. Her cheeks continued to warm from her blush as she felt Jonathan’s large hand on her knee. Quickly, she glanced over at him and smiled shyly, clearing her throat. “I also have some coffee going if you’d like some Angela. I’m assuming that you’ll be here for a while to discuss what we have so far even if it’s not much.” 

“Not much? You nearly died! How is that “not much”? I mean for God sake, you came in contact with Richard Roper and Travis Smithson!” Angela exclaimed, bewildered. 

The mention of Roper had Pine tense up again, and the image of him carrying an unconscious Katie in his arms flashed in his mind. He was thankful that his enemy had indeed saved both of their lives, but more so Katie’s life. However, Jonathan couldn’t help but wonder why he did that. “He mentioned something about a common enemy to me just before we were lifted off to the hospital.” Pine pondered aloud. “Surely it’s Daniel Hasapis he’s referring to.” He stands up and walks over to the sliding door, staring out into the small yard. “Why would he save us though? He wouldn’t just do that for anyone without some sort of-..” He stopped and sighed through his nostrils. “Payment. Someone paid him to help us.” Pine turned back around, looking at the two women. 

Intuition struck Katie, “Abbadon.” She muttered. 

Pine snapped his fingers and winced a little at his forgetfulness. “Right. I ran into her while trying to chase after you. She told me she bought you that room in that one hotel.” Jonathan walked over, taking a seat again. 

“Well, that’s rather odd then considering she’s working with Roper-” 

BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP!

“Oh!! The water!” Katie scrambled up and rushed into the kitchen as she heard the tea kettle squealing from heat. 

“Actually, I have some other business to attend to of my own so I’ll leave the rest up to you for now. But don’t forget to call me!! If I don’t hear you in a week then I’ll have to come find your bloody arses again. Hopefully they won’t be bloody or worse. Keep me updated.” Angela got up and shouted a quick goodbye to Katie and walked out of the airbnb. She had a hunch of sorts that the two still needed some time to recover mentally, so she decided to step in and help. "Don't do anything stupid." She muttered under her breath before finding her guide and leaving the neighborhood. They should be relatively safe in a closed off residential area, at least that's what Angela hoped. 

Several moments later, Katie came out of the kitchen holding a tray and finding Jonathan in a pensive state. "I brought you tea." Her voice caused him to look up. She set the tray down and placed a hand on Pine's shoulder. "Are you ok?" Katie gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. 

"To be honest, no." His eyes met her own and he rose up from his chair, continuing to hold his gaze. "Thank you for the tea, but I don't want any right now. Would you come upstairs for a bit? I want to lie down. It's alright if you don't want to, it's just that I like having you beside me." He admitted truthfully. 

"Ok." Katie smiled softly and followed Jonathan up to their room. 

"This is going to sound a bit odd but- take off your shirt." Pine said, his eyes full of curiosity. "I'm not gonna do anything, I just want to see how your wounds are coming along." Jonathan was taken aback as he saw her remove the article of clothing quickly. His heart leapt into his throat as she also took her pants off. "Whoa, whoa- I didn't say everything." He chuckled nervously, feeling his pants tighten slightly. 

Katie didn't seem bothered by it at all despite the deep blush on her cheeks. Slowly, she reached behind herself and unhooked her bra, sliding her straps down her shoulders. The bra fell to the floor and Katie was left standing without anything but her panties. Her heart was racing as she felt Jonathan's gaze scan her body. "I don't care if it's you." She whispered softly, garnering his attention back to her face. 

He took a step forward, reaching out and examining the small scars that Dylan had left on her. Jonathan's fingers traced over the healed flesh, that caused Katie to shiver under his touch. Both of his large hands came to rest upon her hips and his eyes locked with hers once more. He couldn't play this game anymore as he had almost lost Katie. The burning need to make love to her was becoming almost insufferable to bear. He needed to feel her, tell her how he felt, be inside of her, hold her tightly… "I don't want to pretend anymore." He whispered, his hands traveling up Katie's curves. 

She shook her head and held her breath as their lips were inches apart. "Jonathan don't." Her hands press on his chest and her mind betraying her as she believed he was only doing this out of lust. "I don't want this if it's not real. I'm sorry, I don't believe you- Please don't take advantage of my love." Katie exhaled loudly, her forehead now pressed against Pines. "Jonathan please don't. It's only going to make it worse." She closed her eyes, feeling his breath fanning over her face. 

"What if I told you that it is real? That I want you-" he restrained himself from kissing her, but pressed his erection against her. "I told you, I'm done pretending." Jonathan stole a quick kiss from her, then another and another. "I almost lost you." He muttered, stealing another kiss, deepening it this time and guiding her back to the bed. "Get on the bed and take your panties off." He whispered into her ear, releasing her from his grasp. 

The brunette did as she was told, climbing on the bed and slowly taking her panties off. Her mind was so clouded and muddled with confusion, she couldn't tell if Jonathan was being serious or not. "Jonathan-" she whimpered, being caught in another kiss as he crawled on top of her. Katie linked her arms around his neck, pulling him down to get closer. She felt his hot tongue dip into her mouth and tangle with her own. Katie inhaled sharply through her nose as she felt two of Jonathan's long fingers rub her pussy gently. Her hips bucked upward, desperate for more friction and her pussy growing more wet by the second. The girl gasped for air as their kiss stopped and a moan escaped her lips. "A-Ah, Jonathan please." She continued to move her hips along to his teasing fingers. 

"I will not lose you." Jonathan slipped his middle finger and ring finger into Katie's pussy, holding back a groan from how warm and wet she was inside. He could only imagine how she would feel around his cock as her walls squeezed him. Jonathan watched the girl underneath him as he moved his hand, thrusting his fingers in and out. "You're so beautiful." A soft smile appears across his face as he curls his fingers to hit her g-spot. As he notices Katie throwing her head back, Pine takes advantage of this newly exposed territory. His teeth sink into her flesh and he begins to suck deep purple markings on her neck. 

"J-Jonathan!" One of Katie's hands grabs the back of his neck and the other on the wrist of the hand currently fucking her. She watched in awe as Pine's fingers slipped in and out of her pussy, glimmering in the light with her slickness. "Th-there! There! Don't stop! Oh God don't stop!" She throws her head back and feels Jonathan's hot mouth attack the unmarked area of her neck. Her mind is spinning as her loins are on a pleasurable fire from long fingers fucking her cunt. "O-Oh my god!!" Katie's grip on Jonathan's neck and wrist tighten as her body begins to tremble from Jonathan's thumb rubbing her clit. "Fuck! F-Fuck!!" She pants, trying to keep up with his fingers. "Jonathan!! J-Jonathan I'm gonna cum!! I-I'm-" Katie's lips part into that sweet O formation as her orgasm crashes over her body. She squeals his name, her chest rising up and down with quick breaths as Jonathan continues to rub her clit to help her ride her orgasm out. 

Pine stops marking her neck up and stares at Katie while she comes hard, mystified. His cock throbs painfully as he sees her back arch slightly and skin start to flush. He removes his fingers from her cunt, placing them in his mouth and moaning softly at her pleasant taste. Wasting no more time, he wipes his now saliva covered fingers on his pants and sheds his clothes off. His erection stands upright with the head of his cock wet with precum. Jonathan goes in to kiss Katie but feels her hand push against his chest and the next thing he knows, his eyes roll back as the heat of Katie’s mouth envelops his cock. “ _ Oh _ shit.” He moans, one of his hands running his fingers through her short brown hair. Blue eyes take in the sight before him, the woman he so desperately loves bobbing her head up and down on his length. “Fuck, Katie just like that-” Pine chokes out, holding back the desire to thrust up into her mouth and fuck her throat. 

“M-mgh.” Katie feels the head poke the back of her throat awkwardly before deciding to be brave and take all of him. She gags a little but reminds herself to relax and let Jonathan begin to fuck her mouth. This was only one instance that she wished she had never cut her hair so short. It was all thanks to Travis that she had decided to live with a short haircut after he yanked on it so much and caused her to be triggered from hair pulling. After a few moments, she comes off of his cock with a soft pop. Her watery eyes flick up at him as she pants, dragging her tongue up his length as she cleaned him of her spit. She was so glad that Pine actually cleaned himself and had a tolerable taste. He was a bit more on the bitter side, but Katie didn’t mind it at all and preferred it over the common salty taste. 

“If you keep going- Ah!” Jonathan grit his teeth, holding his orgasm at bay, “I-I’m not going to last much longer, unless that’s what you’re comfortable with.” He exhaled and raised one of his eyebrows to make sure she was ok. 

“I’m ok.” Katie answered quietly, placing one last kiss on the tip of his cock before crawling on top of him. The two met in an eager, sloppy kiss with Katie’s breasts pressing on Jonathan’s chest and their arms tangled around each other. The brunette gasped into the kiss as she felt Jonathan’s cock rub against her folds and her pussy clenched around nothing. She pulled away to catch her breath, eyes half lidded and pupils blown with lust. It truly had been a long time since she felt this way and the first time she wasn’t afraid. 

“Shit-” Jonathan cursed as he remembered he didn’t have any condoms on hand. He looked up at her, hands rubbing her outer thighs, “Katie are you on the pill?” 

She shook her head no and bit her lower, kiss swollen lip. “T-Today is one of my safe days. I know it doesn’t help much but if you pull out I think it’d be ok.” She looked away bashfully before feeling her head being turned back to Jonathan’s blue gaze. 

He stared at her for a moment and swallowed hard, shimmying down to let Katie ride him. Pine wanted to make her feel as comfortable as possible due to her shitty past experiences. He wasn’t about to entertain the whole daddy kink quite yet as this was their first time sleeping together. “Ok.” Jonathan nodded and then thought about what she had said earlier. He wasn’t going to leave her hanging. “Katie, I’m not doing this out of my own pleasure or just because it happens to be the right time. I’ve dreamt of doing this with you for some time now,” His fingers lazily stroked her thighs while she straddled him. “You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to make love to you and have you in my arms. I feel the same as you do but I was too scared to admit it. I will keep my promise because I love you.” 

Katie’s eyes widened from his sudden confession. Before she could say anything else, her shocked expression fell as she reached back and grabbed his cock. Tears ran down her cheeks and a smile graced her lips as she rubbed the head of his cock against her entrance. “I love you so much. Please, call me Kate from now on. It makes me feel so good to hear you call me that.” her smile fades into a face of pleasure as she guides herself down on his cock. Katie hears Jonathan hiss from how tight she was. His cock stretched her out and made her feel so full, she had to take a minute to adjust. “Y-You’re so big.” She gasps, feeling him bottom out. Carefully, she moves her hips, whimpering at the feeling of him inside of her. 

Unable to take the stillness, Jonathan sits up, wrapping his arm around her midsection and begins to thrust upwards. His eyes are locked with hers as he slowly fucks her, falling deeper in love with her. “You’re so fucking tight.” He returns the compliment that she had given him before. “Hold onto me.” He whispers against her lips before flipping her gently onto her back and moving his hips a little harder. Pine feels the brunette’s nails sink into his back as he snaps his hips faster, but his eyes never leave hers. “Fuck I love you so much.” He groans, leaning down to kiss her as he missed the taste of her tongue. 

Heavy breathing, moans and the sound of skin slapping against skin echo off the walls. Katie holds onto Jonathan tightly, whimpering loudly in his mouth. She was in complete euphoria and didn’t want this night to end. “Jonathan!!” She whines as he stops their kiss in favor of sucking her nipples. Her cunt squeezes tightly around his cock, the added sensation of Pine biting and suckling at her breasts heightening her pleasure. She didn’t care if he came inside of her at this point, he felt too good and she was willing to play with fire. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she felt his lips meet her own again. 

Jonathan was slamming his hips into her at this point now, his tongue buried deep in her mouth. Their teeth even clacked against each other a few times from how hard they kissed. “Kate-  _ fuck,  _ baby I’m gonna come.” He moans against her lips. 

“D-Don’t pull out.” She begs and feels her own climax waning near. If necessary, she could always grab a plan B should her worries get the best of her. “Please c-come inside me.” 

They both knew it was a bad idea but were so in the moment that nothing else sounded better than to have Jonathan come deep inside of Katie. “Is that what you want?” He panted, moving his hips as fast as they could go. “You want me to come inside of you?” He winced, feeling his orgasm now on the edge, but holding it off for her. 

Katie nodded, giving a high pitched whimper as his cock hit her g-spot. “P-Please! Please come inside me-” She was cut off by one more kiss and tensed up as her climax hit her. The brunette’s nails raked down Jonathan’s back and her walls fluttered around his cock, squeezing him. 

Jonathan growled slightly, pushing his cock as far into her as he could and coming hard. His seed came out in spurts, coating her walls and filling her. The dark blonde pulled away from the kiss, burying his face into her neck and thrusting a few more times as he rode his orgasm out. He waited until he was beginning to soften to pull out as her cunt felt so divine around his cock. Reluctantly, he pulled out moments later and watched his come dribble out of her. Instinctively, he reached down and pushed some of the come back into her pussy as if he was wanting to knock her up. 

“Thank you, Jonathan.” Katie’s voice became shaky as she began to cry. 

“What’s wrong?! Did I hurt you?” Jonathan snapped out of his post orgasm and checked over her. 

The brunette shook her head and chuckled softly at his concern, “No. You showed me that I don’t have to be afraid of falling in love. I’ve had the right person with me all along.” She sniffled, holding her arms out for him to embrace her. “I love you, Jonathan Pine. You have my heart.” 

“Kate…” Pine sighed in relief, tears of his own prickling at his eyes and giving her a sweet smile. “I couldn’t see a life without you.” He accepted the invitation, wrapping his arms around her smaller frame in return. “I love you and I will do everything in my power to protect you.” He kisses one of the hickeys he had given to her. “It will be hard, but I think we can do this despite the issue at hand.” He placed another gentle kiss to her chest and nuzzled into her. While Jonathan felt better about finally coming to terms with how he felt, he couldn’t help but have a knot of worry nagging at the back of his head. Things appeared to be good right now, but like life usually goes, something bad is eventually bound to happen. 


	15. Red Tulip p. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The smut train comes to a halt... For now.

Finally! There was a breakthrough in the case and new information on Masayuki and his whereabouts. Angela had sent the information and coordinates via e-mail, but Pine was less than pleased to read the information about the Yakuza lord. “He has over 200 allegations and 78 confirmed cases of sexual assault on women  _ and  _ men.” Jonathan put his phone down, scoffing in disgust. 

“So what we have to do in order to bring him down is entice him with sex?” Katie raised her brows in worry. She crossed her bare legs, sitting at the table without panties and only wearing one of Jonathan’s t-shirts. Purple marks from last night littered her neck and chest. “I mean if it’s our only option-” 

“Absolutely not.” Jonathan shut her down immediately and gave Katie a stern look. There was no way in hell that he’d allow her to be used as bait. He pressed his thin lips into a line and nodded, “I-I’ll have to do it.” Pine paled at the thought and then took back what he said, “Actually I can’t- I’m too straight for this.” He rubbed his eyes and groaned in frustration. 

“Then I have to do it.” Katie took a deep breath and stood up from her seat, walking over to the stairway. She was stopped as Pine grabbed her hand and pulled her into his chest. The brunette was then caught into a deep kiss, making her calm down. She snaked her arms around his neck and felt his hand grab her ass, giving it a smack. “Jonathan!” She pulled away in surprise before gasping as his fingers began to probe her pussy. “J-Jonathan we had sex five times last night.” she grabbed his wrist and moaned loudly as his fingers slid into her with ease. 

Pine gave a chuckle and didn’t answer her, grabbing the back of her neck and crashing his lips into hers again. He couldn’t get enough of this girl and intended to show her just how much she drove him crazy. Jonathan began to pump his fingers in and out of her cunt slowly, his thumb massaging her clit. 

"Jonathan!!" Katie whined again, her hips squirming as she was desperate for more friction. "Please-" she panted, feeling her arousal build up faster than normal. The room had suddenly got more cold, causing her nipples to perk up. She almost didn't notice Jonathan taking his shirt off of her, and her hand flew back to his wrist. "Hey! W-What has gotten into you- Ohh fuck." She bit her lip, her breathing coming out more labored as Jonathan's fingers curled inside of her. Katie bucked her hips and fucked herself down on his fingers, her moans flew wildly from her lips. 

"Biology." Pine replied with a smirk, feeling his cock twitch in his briefs. He removed her hand off his wrist and pinned it above her head. "I wanted to make it six, but you were tuckered out. I had to let my baby girl rest up." He dove for her neck, placing open mouth kisses along her flesh. "Daddy hasn't forgotten about your little slip up back in Moscow." His voice lowered sinfully and he stopped his fingers. Jonathan chuckled as he felt her walls clench down on his digits. 

Oh fuck. He just had to go and speak the magic words to really get her going. It seemed as though he had gotten  _ quite  _ comfortable too fast, not that Katie minded. She whimpered as she felt his fingers drag out of her now wet pussy. However, his thumb still lingered on her clit and moved in agonizingly slow circles. "P-Please!" She threw her head back against the wall, trying to move her hips. "Jonathan you are  _ killing  _ me." She whined, her chest rising up and down from her pants. 

_ SMACK! _

In an instant, Jonathan turned Katie around and gave her ass a firm spank. "That's not my name, little girl." He growls softly, spanking the opposite cheek and watching the skin of her ass begin to redden. Pine knew that Katie would tell him where he would be crossing a line, but he figured a little Daddy Dom play wouldn't hurt. Besides, he was  _ extremely _ horny and was kind of bummed out they didn't go for a sixth round. It had been too long since he last had proper sex and not just jerking off to relieve the tension. Come to think of it, Jonathan actually hadn’t jerked himself off for a while until recently; he always had a woman to warm his bed for the night. He honestly felt like such a man whore when he really thought about it, but it didn’t bother him in the slightest. Pine was very much aware of how attractive he was, and that every woman he had slept with told him he was one of the best shags they’ve had. Katie should consider herself lucky that he had chosen her for something more long term, his vanity was apparent as he thought of that. He scooped her up into his arms, thumb leaving her clit as he carried her over to the couch in the living room. 

“Pine- AH!” Another sharp smack to her ass had her squirming on his lap as she was now sitting on it, her soft breasts pressing against his bare chest. 

“Tsk, you are being so naughty.” He flicked his wrist, smacking her ass again and again. Jonathan noticed that Katie was enjoying the hell out of it as she pressed her body closer to his and whined. “Not referring to me properly and enjoying punishment- I think you  _ like  _ being a brat.” He smacked her ass again a little harder this time and earned a high pitched squeal from the girl. 

Mischief flashed in her green eyes and she spread her legs wide, her pussy gliding over the outline of his cock. Katie grabbed onto his shoulders and grinded her cunt over Pine’s concealed cock, her clit getting some friction from the fabric of his briefs. “Maybe I do~” She moaned, her arms now wrapped around his neck and lips hovering above his. Jonathan had awoken the vixen within her, something Travis failed to do understandably. She felt so fucking good and wanted to play a little with Pine before they ultimately went out to do their mission. “Mmm, daddy your cock is so big.” She moaned, earning a buck of his hips and causing her to gasp. 

“So now you want to behave? Naughty little girl.” Jonathan’s hands grabbed her hips and stopped them from moving. “Because of that, you’re not allowed to come until I tell you to. I’ll make your ass glow a brighter shade of red than it is now if you don’t listen. Is this understood?” He looked into her eyes, his blue eyes dark. 

“Yes, daddy.” Katie whines, trying to move her hips but earning another smack from Pine’s hand. “Daddy please!!” She begged, trying to get that delicious friction again but only receiving more spanks. 

Jonathan’s hand began to tingle from how much he had spanked Katie’s ass. While his hand was still warm from the previous hit, he massaged the stinging flesh of her rear. “I don’t believe I gave you permission to pleasure yourself. For that-” He had her over his legs and smacked her ass even harder, holding her in place. “You need to be punished. I won’t tolerate bratty behavior, little girl. Start counting.” He commanded, bringing his palm down on her ass again. 

“One- T-Two!!” Katie gasped loudly at how fast paced he was going. Her pussy was absolutely drenched from the spanking she got. “Three!” It was so hard not to move as her clit was pressing against his leg in the right place. “Four!” she needed more and decided to grind against his leg to feel more pleasure. That was quickly halted by five rapid successions of Jonathan’s hand smacking her ass. 

“You are testing my patience, brat.” He brought his hand down five more times and decided that was enough spanking as his hand stung. Jonathan massaged the now deep red flesh of her ass and dipped his fingers between her legs. “You’re fucking soaked.” He almost moaned out, rubbing his fingers along her lips and listening to her puff out little whimpers. “If you fuck yourself on my fingers or try to please yourself again, you will not be receiving anything more. Do I make myself clear, little girl?” Jonathan slides two fingers into her pussy and begins to drag them in and out, taking in how positively wet she was. He could hardly wait to feel her velvety walls wrapped around his cock again. 

“Yes, daddy.” Katie’s head dips down and her nails sink into the skin of Pine’s leg as he fucks her with his fingers. “Daddy please, m-more.” She begs. 

Jonathan hums in response, his thumb taking its place back on her swollen clit. “I shouldn’t be giving you what you want for your behavior, but I want to see how well you can hold yourself as I bring you to the edge of release.” He moved his thumb a little harder, and scissored his fingers inside of her pussy. “So tight.” He breathes out, watching her body tense up from his motions. 

Katie shuts her eyes tightly, trying to resist any movement. The urge to come was growing closer and having never done something like this before, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to make it. “D-Daddy I’m gonna come!” her orgasm had built up faster than she anticipated. 

“No! Hold it.” Jonathan snapped, continuing to rub her clit and testing her endurance. 

“Daddy please let me come-” 

“No. I said hold it.” 

“P-Please!! I-” Katie gasps loudly, unable to control her powerful orgasm that rips through her trembling body. Her walls clamp down on Pine’s fingers and she lets out a scream from how good it felt. “Daddy I-I’m sorry.” She panted, whining as she felt Jonathan’s fingers slide out of her cunt. “I’ve never done something like that before.” She added quickly and hoped that Pine would at least cut her some slack. 

While he was a bit annoyed that she didn’t listen, Jonathan decided to take some pity on her after hearing her confession. Not saying anything, he hoists the girl up and makes her stand on her knees above him so he can shimmy his briefs off. “You’re going to ride daddy’s cock and do the work yourself.” He waited for her to begin and sat back, watching. 

The brunette nodded, still a bit hazy from her orgasm. She reached back and carefully took his hot member in her hand, rubbing the head against her pussy. Slowly, she lowered herself down and moaned from the feeling of him stretching her. Katie became impatient and sunk herself down quickly onto Jonathan’s cock, “D-DADDY!!” She screamed out as the tip hit her cervix uncomfortably and caused Jonathan to snap out of his persona. 

“Kate are you alright?” He winced himself as she could have done something to not only hurt herself, but potentially him too. Pine’s hands rubbed Katie’s thighs soothingly, his blue eyes twinkling in the morning light. The last thing he wanted was to trigger her in any sort of way. 

“M-mhm.” She replied, pushing Jonathan back against the couch and placing her hands on his shoulders. “I’m ok.” her voice was shaky. 

“Hey, take a minute yeah? I don’t want you to push yourself. I love you.” He squeezed her thighs gently, his hands traveling up her curves. They stopped on her ribcage beneath her breasts, wanting to grab at her mounds but waiting for her signal. 

Katie took his advice and sat on his cock, itching to move after several minutes. “I think I’m ok now.” She spoke in a hushed tone. Her heart warmed thinking back on his consideration and words of affection. “I love you too.” 

Jonathan leaned forward, kissing her softly for a moment and pulling away slowly. “Do you want me to stop playing for now?” He glanced up into her eyes and noticed her nod. A smile spread across his face and he adjusted himself, moving his hips up into her at a slow rate. They could play that role some other time as she looked like she had lost interest from her stunt. “As much as I love hearing you moan out “daddy” I do so prefer hearing my name on your lips.” He leaned forward again, this time taking one of her nipples into his mouth. 

Katie gasps at the feeling of his cock now thrusting inside of her and she wraps an arm around his neck while the opposite is still placed on his shoulder. “J-Jonathan,” She watches him suckle at her breast, moving her hips along with his. Katie’s fingers grab the back of his head, pushing his face closer to her chest. “Faster, please.” She breathes out, now bouncing on his cock. 

“As my love wishes.” Jonathan released her nipple and wrapped his strong arms around her waist, moving faster and taking her other nipple into his mouth to give it equal attention. She felt so fucking good around his cock and at this point, Jonathan couldn’t imagine ever having sex with her while wearing a condom. Her velvety walls and tight heat were too amazing to ever put a rubber on. “Fuck-” He stopped sucking at her breast and looked up into Katie’s brilliant green eyes. “I love you so much.” He moans, grabbing her hips and helping her bounce faster and harder. 

“I-I love you too! I’m so happy to be y-yours!!” Katie squeaks out as Jonathan’s cock hits places she didn’t even know made her feel good. “Kiss me-” Her hands cup his strong jawline and she crashes her lips against his, breathing heavily while making out roughly. Their teeth knock together from how hard they kiss and tongues insatiably tangling together. It isn’t too long before the tell tale signs of another orgasm build up in her core and she whimpers to no end. “I-I’m gonna come!” She gasps, holding onto him tightly, impaling herself on his length. 

“Then come, come on my cock. Lose yourself.” He growls, nails digging into the skin of her hips as his own climax is rushing through him. “I’m going to come inside of you.” He grits his teeth as he feels her walls clamp down on his cock. 

Katie gasps loudly, grabbing Pine and holding his head against her breasts as she comes. His name leaves her lips with a slew of curses, her hips jerking slightly from yet another intense orgasm. Shortly after, Katie moans loudly at the feeling of Jonathan shooting his come inside of her. She pulls him away from her chest and captures his lips, drinking his moans as he continues to finish inside her pussy. Both of them are breathing hard and continuing to kiss passionately as they come down from their highs. “I can’t see myself with anyone else.” Katie stops their kiss, pressing her forehead against his. 

“I feel the same way.” Pine whispers breathlessly, placing several smaller kisses to her lips and carefully pulling himself out. He then scoops Katie up into his arms, making sure that her lower half is pointed more upward. 

The brunette giggled at her lover, holding onto him. “It’s like you’re trying to increase the chance of me getting pregnant. I’ve heard elevation helps.” she jokes. 

“Or it could be the fact that we are renting out a house that isn’t ours and I’d rather not get sperm on the floor.” He raised his eyebrows and saw her frown a bit. “What? I’m just being considerate of the owners…” He paused and then winked at her. “Thanks for letting me know that though. If we ever get that far and have the chance, I’ll keep that in mind.” He grinned, carrying her up the stairs and setting her down on the bed once he reached the bedroom. The room had a faint smell of their carnal activities of last night and it stirred another bout of arousal within Jonathan. He felt his cock grow hard again, amazed that it had only been just a few minutes since he came. 

Katie held her arms open and spread her legs again, wanting him inside of her as she felt so empty without him. 

How could he not accept such a welcoming invitation? Jonathan crawled on top of his lover and began to kiss her deeply, enjoying the feeling of her fingers roaming his broad, muscular back. His tongue dipped into her mouth, toying with hers. They both moaned softly from their slow, passionate kiss. 

“I hate to interrupt the snog session but, for the love of God please put some clothes on!” Angela stood in the doorway of their bedroom and watched the two scramble with the sheets. She rolled her eyes as Jonathan literally pulled Katie into him and pulled the sheets over their naked bodies. 

“Christ, Angela!! When did you get here!? Warn us next time will you?!” Jonathan looked bewildered. He looked down at Katie whose face was as red as the markings he left on her ass. She looked so cute like this, huddled close to him and peering up through bashful eyes. Jonathan’s hormones distracted him for a moment as he took in the sight of his beloved, smiling down softly at her. 

Angela cleared her throat loudly, gathering his and Katie’s attention back to her. “I’ve got a precise location on Masayuki. We’re gonna need Miss O’Connor for this operation as I’ve set up a blind date.” 


	16. Wisteria p. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jealousy gets the better of Jonathan but at a price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a scene where Katie is sort of violated by Masayuki, but nothing too graphic or bad. Just a heads up.

"No." Jonathan stated firmly, nostrils flaring and holding Katie closer to him. Again, he was not going to let her near that disgusting pervert in order to carry out the mission. "You're going to have to find someone else, Angela. The man is  _ sick  _ and I don't want her to be in any situation that would cause any memories to resurface." His blue eyes gazed down at Katie again, pressing a kiss to her forehead. The love and adoration in her eyes for his consideration made Jonathan's heart flutter. "I just want to keep her as safe as I possibly can. I know I can't protect her from everything but this is something that hits too close to what she went through." Pine continued to look at Katie as he explained his reasoning. 

Angela sighed deeply and ran a hand through her hair. "Do you have any other suggestions? Because I'm not sure of what else there is besides that. We can't exactly have you two go in together." She tapped her bottom lip, trying to think of  _ something _ to keep Katie from living through a nightmare all over again. "I've already seen your face plastered a few places, Pine. There's a bounty on you and that has me worried all the more-" 

"I-I'll do it." Katie suddenly sat up, holding the sheets to her nude body. She had her back turned to Pine as she looked at Angela with determination. 

"Kate-" Jonathan placed a hand on her arm. 

"No, Jonathan." She turned around, shaking her head. "I have to do this. I know that it's going to be dangerous and potentially trigger something, but I can't lose you." Her free hand cupping his face. "I could have lost you two weeks ago and I don't want to have it happen for real." She leaned in, kissing him and not caring if Angela saw. After a few more tender moments of soft kissing, Katie turned back around and nodded. "Where have you set this blind date up?" She would face her fears and go in with her head held high. The brunette was just as keen on protecting Jonathan as he was with her. Losing the man she loved scared her to her core and she couldn't live with herself if he died. She would have to do this, no matter the cost. 

\----------------------- 

_ 8 hours later _

"Kate, are you absolutely certain you'll be alright?" Jonathan's fingers gingerly played with his lovers. His blue eyes were full of worry and doubt, yet still held awe and admiration for the young woman. 

Turning around to face him, Katie nodded and placed a hand on his chest. "I'm doing this for you and your safety." Her green eyes shimmered in the light of the bedroom. Both of them had no idea how in the hell Angela had managed to set up such a feat, but trusted in her word. Apparently, she had some agents working in Japan that were able to assist in setting something up. Katie had been given a second cell phone as a tracker and recorder. It was programmed all in Japanese and had a cute light pink casing with a phone charm of a fox to match. Katie's outfit for the night was the white sweetheart neckline strapless crop top she owns, a long flowy red skirt with a faint floral print, sandals, and a gold vine like bangle around her left forearm. Her makeup was simple with just a cat eye liner, shaped brows, deep red lipstick, mascara, blush and contour. 

Jonathan stared at Katie, taken aback by how beautiful she looked. Nodding, he grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He had a plan of his own as obviously he did not trust Masayuki at all. “Please be careful and make sure you don’t accidentally have him falling in love with you.” He gave a playful smirk and winked at her. 

A small smile formed across Katie’s red lips, “You’re jealous.” she noticed how tense he was and how reluctant he was to release her hand. 

“Well, should I not be? My girl is going on a date with someone else that isn’t me.” He slowly pinned her against the wall, diving in for her neck when he was pushed back. 

“Jonathan, I had to put like two layers of concealer and a layer of foundation to cover your marks!” Katie giggled and slapped his chest, looking up at him and placing a kiss against his neck. A red lip print was left there and her blush only enhanced her natural flush on her cheeks. “I promise when I get back then you can mark me to your heart's content.” She whispered against his swan-like neck and pulled away. “I’ve gotta get going.” her smile faded and she felt Jonathan release her hand with hesitancy. The brunette took a deep breath in, grabbing her small black clutch before heading out. If she would have stayed a moment longer, it would have been harder for her to leave as she just wanted to be in Pine’s arms. 

As soon as Katie was out of sight from the window, Jonathan ran upstairs and threw on some more casual-formal attire. He wasn’t about to let her walk into the hornet's nest by herself or let Masayuki have a chance to touch what is  _ his.  _ Once he had freshened himself up he left the house and looked down at his phone, following the GPS to Katie’s location. It took him about twenty minutes to actually find the restaurant that she was supposed to be at. He cursed himself for not asking about directions earlier as his phone had suddenly changed from English to Japanese. The restaurant he entered was vast and rather elegant, nothing very traditional about the place as it seemed more foreign. He found out that it was some sort of expensive Italian eatery and also offered Japanese twists on different dishes. His heart stopped as he saw Katie and Masayuki walk in, her arm was on his and she looked so uncomfortable. While she didn’t show it in her face, her body language was too easy to read. “Bastard.” Pine muttered under his breath and crept over to the table they were to sit at. Thankfully, the table had a long red cloth the same color as Katie’s skirt and it was just long enough for him to take cover under. 

“Kit, my beautiful bijin, I had not the slightest idea that you were so fluent in my native tongue! I am very much impressed. Not many foreign women I have courted have been so educated in Japanese.” Masayuki pulled a chair out for Katie, helping her settle in. 

“Oh Kibutsuji-san thank you-” Katie almost choked as she had used a flirtatious tone. 

“Please, please! That is much too formal. Call me Yuki-kun~ It’s what my past lovers have called me and also cried out in bed.” The Yakuza lord grinned, licking his lips and winking at her. Masayuki noticed her squirm slightly at his comment, but paid no mind to follow up with an apology. He didn’t care at all if he made her feel uncomfortable, she was a gorgeous foreign woman who would later warm his bed. That’s all she was it seemed. 

Pine almost stabbed Masayuki with his pocket knife he carried on him at that comment. He had to sincerely hold himself back from attacking the crime lord. All he could do was sit there and listen to Masayuki make further sexual comments about Katie. The comments were growing increasingly filthier by the second and he even heard his lover ask if he could change the topic. Naturally, Masayuki declined and insisted that he continue to shower her in inappropriate comments. It was only until halfway through their meals that the crime lord had left for a bathroom break. He just could not take it anymore and crawled over to where Katie sat, lifting the cloth. 

“What the fuck!?” Katie jumped up and hushed her voice, her eyes widening at Jonathan’s sudden appearance. “What are you doing here!?” She spoke through clenched teeth and tried her best not to make a scene. 

“I couldn’t just let you go alone. I’ve been here with my legs cramping for about an hour now. That man is disgusting, Kate. I nearly shanked the fucker for all the diraugatory and degrading things he has said to you.” Pine spoke in an equally hushed voice. As he was about to say something else, his head was then firmly pushed back under the table and he ended up beneath Katie’s skirt as well. His eyes met a pair of black lacy panties and he swallowed hard as a rather dangerous idea popped into his mind. 

“My bijin, is there something wrong? I saw you look worried!” Masayuki raised his thick eyebrows and resumed his seat, examining the red table cloth as he thought he saw something. 

“N-No! No, I was just adjusting my skirt, that's all I was d-doing!!” She squeaked as she felt Pine’s tongue drag up her clothed pussy and his hands massaging her thighs. Katie noticed that Masayuki gave her a strange look and she waved her hand, tensing up as her panties were being removed. She forced a smile and gave Pine a kick under the table. “Sorry I’m fine! I just felt a bit chilly.” She winced again as the kick did nothing to deter Jonathan’s quest to feast on her cunt. 

Jonathan smirked inwardly at his victory and dragged the flat of his tongue over her pussy, his large hands kneading the flesh of her rear. “She tastes so good.” He muttered to himself as quietly as possible, placing his mouth over her cunt and giving open mouth kisses on her lower lips. Pine could feel her shaking and wished he could hear her labored breaths, his cock straining in his pants. He decided to place his lips over her clit and give a sharp suck, just to test her and see how she would react. 

“P-PINE!!” She slammed her fist down on the table and gave an awkward smile, “Pine trees! They are lovely especially in the winter time! Wouldn’t you agree?” Katie clenched her teeth as she was practically oozing arousal. Why? Why did it have to be now of all times for him to do this? 

“You are acting quite strangely Kit-san. Are you certain there is nothing going on?” He noticed her cheeks were a bright pink and not just from her blush. “There is no man underneath the table licking my dessert?” He gave her another disgusting grin. 

That comment caused both Katie and Jonathan to freeze up. Pine however, took this as a challenge and clenched his jaw. “ _ His  _ dessert? Oh, I don’t think so.” Jonathan muttered and dove right back in, slipping his tongue into Katie’s pussy and tongue fucking her. He almost moaned from her creamy thighs clenching around his head as he continued his torment. Jonathan withdrew his tongue and felt her thighs loosen their grip. If she thought he was done, she was sorely mistaken. He flicks his tongue out and licks at her pussy, giving her clit a hard suck. 

"D-Dessert sounds lovely. Uh I-I don't think we should go that-that-that f-f-fast!!" She could not control her stammering and feared that Jonathan would be discovered. She slammed her heel down on Pine, desperate to get him to stop. Again, her kick did nothing to deter the blonde from halting his actions. The next thing Katie knows is that she is holding in a gasp as she feels Jonathan's fingers slip into her pussy and his lips sucking her clit. She grabs a napkin in an attempt to look like she is placing it on her lap; but she grabs Jonathan's hair instead, trying to hold back moans while he fucks her soaked cunt with his mouth and fingers.

"Oh but you must not know who I am,  _ koibito _ ." Masayuki rises from his seat, traveling over to Katie and caressing her bare shoulders. He smirks as he feels her shiver under her touch and snatches her jaw, forcing her to look at him. " _ Anata no omanko wa watashi no monoda to iu to, sore wa watashi no monodesu. Kitto anata wa watashi ni shitagawanakattara dō naru ka rikai shite iru ka?"  _ He whispered into her ear, pulling up his sleeve a little and showing her a peek of his tattoo. Suddenly, he reached for the table cloth and flipped it up, expecting to see someone underneath her. There was nothing there. 

Jonathan froze up, a cold sweat replacing the pleasant warmth he had felt from going down on his girlfriend. He sat absolutely still and prayed that Masayuki wasn't depraved enough to lift Katie's skirt up. 

All the color in Katie's face had vanished from what Masayuki had told her. A shaky breath left her lips and she thought about what was happening underneath the table to make the flush in her cheeks return. "Y-Yuki-kun.. I had no idea you were so dominant. I apologize for my misunderstanding. I-I do fully know now and I hope you can accept my sincerest apology-" she was cut off by Masayuki's lips on her own and his hand traveling down to her skirt. 

Intuition told Jonathan to move out of the way and he quickly removed Katie's panties, shoving them in his pocket. He slid out carefully from underneath the seat and rose to his feet with his back to them, sitting down at another table to make himself seem inconspicuous. The glimpse he had gotten from the corner of his eye made his anger flare up. 

"KIBUTSUJI-SAN!!" Katie shrieked as he lifted her skirt, her face turning as red as the table cloth. What happened next made her squeak as the crime lords fingers delved down into her pussy, fingering her. "S-Stop please!" She whimpered, grabbing his arm and holding back her tears. 

"Mmm no, no! You've been touching yourself to the thought of me~ You naughty little kitsune." Masayuki practically drooled and pulled his fingers out from her entrance. His dark eyes studied the fluid on his digits before putting them into his mouth and sucking it off. He pulled his fingers out with a loud pop and grinned, "You taste better than I thought you would-" Masayuki turned around as he heard a chair angrily scrape against the floor. He noticed a taller white man make a run for the bathroom, hand clutched over his stomach. 

Katie turned around as well and her heart leapt as she realized Pine had thankfully gotten away from them. She was still quite shaken and upset he had her panties, but glad that he managed to go unnoticed. Her attention was turned back to Masayuki taking a call on his phone. He looked extremely upset and barked orders on the phone, not caring who listened. Her heart raced as he hung up and looked at her with slight malice. 

“We will have to continue this another time. I have some business to attend to seeing as my men are intolerable and unable to handle simple orders.” Masayuki eyed her body and grinned. “I cannot wait until then, my fox.” He winked and turned around, snapping his fingers to call forth waiters to open the door. 

Once he was gone, Katie let out a quiet sob and turned the recording off of her phone. She ran a hand through her hair and got up, grabbing her belongings and heading for the women's bathroom. Her stomach churned from the incident and she felt dizzy from attempting to process what happened. Oddly enough, she was still incredibly turned on and  _ needed  _ Pine to cleanse her of Masayuki’s filthy touch. Katie is suddenly grabbed by two strong hands and pulled into a stall. She is about to scream but is silenced by familiar lips, hungrily kissing her. “Jonathan-” She gasps, her hands flying up into his hair and lips back on his. Katie’s fingers tangle themselves in his short locks, trying to pull him as close to her body as possible. 

Jonathan pinned Katie against the wall, breathing heavily while his tongue was tangled with hers. His arms dropped for a moment and he fumbled with his belt and pants, pushing them and his briefs down. “You have no idea how badly I wanted to throttle that son of a bitch. He made me sick.” Jonathan growls, hoisting Katie up. “Wrap your legs around me, little girl.” Pine rubs the tip of his cock over her wet folds. 

“D-Daddy, please fuck me.” She moans against his lips and gasps loudly, feeling his cock slip into her needy cunt. “Oh m-my god.” She whimpers softly, her arms wrapped around him as she held on. “Please make me forget his touch. Please daddy.” One of her hands grabs the back of Pine’s head and she smashes her lips against his again, her lipstick further smearing over both of their mouths. 

“Daddy’s got you, baby girl.” Jonathan separates their kiss with a wet noise. His hips snap hard up into her pussy, his breaths coming out labored from how tight she was around him. “That scumbag was touching what belongs to me.” His blue eyes held a possessive glow that had Katie’s legs wrap tighter around Pine’s waist. “Fuck you feel so good, baby.” He inhales sharply, kissing her roughly again and fucking her hard. 

The brunette held on for dear life, squealing into his mouth as she felt his fingers rub her clit. “Daddy!! Oh Daddy there!! Please!!” She begs him, breathing hard as her clit pulses with pleasure. Her head falls back against the wall and her mind foggy from this incredibly sexy bathroom fuck session. At this point, she didn’t care if anyone walked in and even wanted people to hear them having rough sex. “I’m sorry he touched me, daddy.” A single tear trailed down her cheek as she did feel guilty. 

“It’s not your fault baby girl. He’s just a pig that doesn’t know how to keep his hands to himself!” Jonathan grunted as he moved harder, the tip of his cock hitting her cervix. He moved his fingers in slow circles this time, loving the feeling of her walls squeezing down on him, milking him. “Shit, you feel so fucking good.” His voice became rough and he nipped at her jaw. 

“Jonathan, thank you.” Katie gasped through a pleasure filled sob, her heart touched by his words. Never before had she been told that something  _ wasn’t  _ her fault in regards to being sexually harassed. Travis had always blamed her for when he allowed his friends to violate her or when she got unwanted stares. Jonathan was so much more than Travis would ever be. Katie couldn’t think of anyone better to fall in love with than him. “No one’s ever told me that. It’s always been my fault.” She cried softly, feeling Jonathan slow his thrusts. 

“I love you so Goddamn much, Kate. I would never think that it’s your fault. You mean so much to me-” He resumed his pace, feeling his balls tighten with impending release. “I’m gonna come soon. Come with me.” He moans against her lips, his fingers moving faster on her clit and his eyes locked with hers. Katie came first with a muffled scream, her walls milking his cock to completion and causing Jonathan to bury his face into her neck. His hips stuttered as he came hard, pleasure raking over his entire body. Both of them panted hard, holding each other tightly from their post orgasm haze. Jonathan leaned into Katie, kissing her deeply and slowly lowering her down as he pulled out. “Here-” He stopped their kiss, kneeling down and slipping the brunette’s panties back on. “As much as I want to keep them,” He stood up, nipping her ear and lowering his voice, “I’d rather they attempt to keep my seed inside of your cunt, better chance of knocking you up.” He chuckled, a husky tone laced in it. 

Did he really feel that way? Katie shuddered from the thought and looked at Jonathan with half lidded eyes. “Would you? Want a baby?” She whispered and raised her eyebrows. 

Slowly, Jonathan nodded and opened the stall, holding her hand. He grabbed her clutch hanging on the back and exited with her. A grin made its way across his face as Pine scooped her up to carry her bridal style. A soft laugh escaped him at her tiny, overjoyed squeal of surprise. Thankfully the bill had already been paid for so they could just go back home. “I’m not crass, Kate. I wasn’t about to say something that deep and important in a public restroom.” He chuckled, still carrying her. 

“Well, thanks but, I mean…” She blushed and looked at him, eyes glittering in the moonlight. “W-Would you want to have a baby with me? Not right now of course, but maybe down the road? If we can attempt to live normal lives?” Katie bit her smeared lip and hoped that he would say yes and that it wasn’t just out of lust. 

“I do.” Jonathan stopped for a moment, truly thinking about it. Fatherhood was something he secretly wanted, but resigned to the possibility of that never happening. “I’d want you to be the mother of my children.” He gave her a soft smile, placing a kiss to her temple and continued to walk home. 

Masayuki walked out from behind the bushes and pulled out a walkie talkie, grinning. “Travis-san. I have our man and lady sighted. Two of my men are following them home right now as we speak.” He clicked the button and watched as the pair vanished into the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anata no omanko wa watashi no monoda to iu to, sore wa watashi no monodesu. Kitto anata wa watashi ni shitagawanakattara dō naru ka rikai shite iru ka? - When I say your pussy is mine to eat, it is mine. Surely you understand what happens should you disobey me?


	17. Wisteria p. iii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan goes horribly wrong and another bloody flower emerges

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS VIOLENT AND DARK!! PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION!! THERE IS A NON-GRAPHIC IMPLIED RAPE SCENE AT THE END BUT I WILL NOT ELABORATE INTO FURTHER DETAILS.

Jonathan collapsed next to Katie, panting hard after their fourth round of sex that night. When they had gotten home, Katie suggested taking a shower and bath together… Which led to the third round of sex. After that, Jonathan wanted to go down on her properly which led to the fourth and final round of intense love making. 

"I think-" Katie panted, looking over at Jonathan and giggling "I think maybe we should call it quits tonight." Exhaustion was evident in her voice and nuzzled closely to her boyfriend. 

"I'm inclined to agree." Jonathan wraps an arm around her, chuckling at how much they fucked yesterday and today. "For God sake, you'd think I'm a spry young man again with how many times I've wanted to make love to you." He raised his brows and pulled the sheets over their cooling bodies. Sleep was not too far behind Pine either as his eyelids began to droop. He stared at Katie, watching her fall into a deep, peaceful slumber. Never before had he felt so attached to one person. He was crazy for this girl and it almost scared him from just how insatiable his feelings were for her. Despite the actions of tonight, Pine couldn't help but feel something was about to go wrong. Because of his grim intuition, Jonathan came up with an idea of how to take down Wisteria once and for all… Although he wasn't happy about what this idea exactly was.

\------------ 

"I'm surprised you even agreed to it." Roper spoke, unlit cigarette between his lips. 

Abbadon scrunched her nose in disgust and stared out at the sea. She and Roper were personally stationed at one of Masayuki's elaborate, traditional homes. This particular "sanctuary" was untouched by any sort of business as it resided on the cliffside. There was access to a private beach, a natural hot spring a bit further away in the forest, and other necessities of a cliffside manor. "I never agreed to anything, Roper." She huffed and pulled her shawl around her shoulders, chilled from the bite of the sea breeze. “I’m doing this for myself and my son, I’ve told you this.” 

Richard took a drag off of his now lit cigarette and blew smoke out, putting his lighter away. “Yes, so you have. I’m just curious though… Do you actually think your tyrant of a brother will ever let you see your son again?” 

Anger flared up in the woman’s eyes and she grabbed Roper by the collar of his coat, teeth bared. “You already know the answer to that!” She threw him back with a little force and snarled. “I do not appreciate you bringing my son into conversation in such a casual manner! You are lucky that I did not push you harder or you would be tumbling to your pitiful death-” 

“My fellow comrades! Why all the arguing?” Travis stepped out from the house, looking over the cliffside for a moment and shuddering. He did not do well with heights at all and was rather angry at Masayuki for choosing this to be their base. 

Abbadon glared at Richard, storming past him and then giving the same glare, with just as much venom, to Travis. “Comrades? You’re joking. I would never even consider a sick fuck like you to be an ally.” She spat, going back into the manor to escape the men and bitter cold. 

Travis whistled, walking to Roper and grinning at him. “You know I should really shove you off the edge of this cliff for what you did to my men.” 

Roper puffed out smoke, raising his brows and did not seem bothered by his comment in the slightest. “You’d be the second person today to inform me that you’d like to shove me off the cliff. Come up with something more original, will you? Also, get better men who can actually dodge.” A small smirk touched his lips. 

Instead of being offended, the leader of Bloodroot let out a cold laugh and shook his head. “I’m actually glad you got rid of them, though I had to take care of Andrew after. He’s rotting somewhere in that one forest near Mt. Fuji… I didn’t kill him, I convinced him to do the deed himself. I know how to make a person go mad with doubt, I know how to break them and plant lies into their heads…” 

“You truly are a sick fucker aren’t you?” Richard put his cigarette out and frowned. “Telling someone to kill themselves just because they aren’t up to your standards. That’s low, Travis. I can’t say much myself though, but at least I don’t get pleasure out of doing it.” He began to make his way back inside, turning around one last time. “Oh and by the way, maybe  _ I  _ should shove you off of the cliff. You seem to be the most deranged out of us all and will be better off dead than alive.” 

\-----------------

The next morning arrived with Jonathan carefully examining the outside of their rental. He did notice some activity that confirmed his suspicions of last night. It seemed a bit odd that Masayuki didn’t have any bodyguards with him and lacked henchmen yesterday. Pine knew that he had something up his sleeve for the strange absence of men. However, Katie did point out as they were walking home that two men had been following them at a short distance. They had dressed as normal civilians but acted too suspicious to actually be residents of the area. The same two men were found stalking about outside near the rental, making Jonathan uneasy. There were too many innocent people around and he didn’t want to have another blood bath like the time at The Prince Sakura, just a few weeks ago. His phone began to ring and he went inside, answering it. “Angela, we’re in a bit of a tight spot.” 

“I know that already by the sound of your voice… But you’ve also got a plan haven’t you?” Angela was browsing a toy store, looking for something for her little one. It didn’t help that she couldn’t read Japanese so she was having a bit of a hard time with it. 

“Yeah, but it involves us voluntarily giving ourselves up to get closer to Wisteria and take Masayuki down. I’m having Kate contact the police today to inform them of our plan and that they are going to need back up. I can’t imagine that the manor is going to be empty when we arrive.” Pine looked over his shoulder, making sure Katie wasn’t around at the moment. “We have visitors outside of our rental. Some of Wisteria henchmen. They followed us last night after I got Kate out of the situation she was in. I can’t talk for too much longer as we need to get this plan set in stone. I’ll send you a text later-” Jonathan hung up and walked over to the stairwell, only to find Katie standing there. He rubbed the back of his neck out of slight guilt, “You heard everything, didn’t you?” 

The brunette nods, walking down and moving past Jonathan. “I did. I don’t know if that plan will work, Jonathan.” She turned to face him, uncertainty evident in her voice. “Masayuki has Bloodroot with him too. Who knows if Travis and his scum bags are also there. We can’t count on police interference when we don’t know how many of them there are.” She swallowed hard. This was a risky move, but in order to not shed blood this was their only option. The thought of more innocent people dying had Katie’s stomach churn. Like Pine, she did not want a repeat of The Prince Sakura; especially since there were children out and about. 

“So what are we going to do then? Wait like sitting ducks? We don’t have time Kate, it’s either we call for backup and tell them we found his main base or people die.” Jonathan walked down, his brows knit together in concern. Logically, the law enforcement was more than aware of Masayuki’s crimes but had no clue of where his base was. They had enough evidence to lock him up for life already as he had been arrested a plethora of times beforehand. All they needed was the base location. 

“No!” Katie shook her head and looked at her boyfriend like he was crazy. She turned her gaze away from him and sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I just-... We’ve spent so much time together that I almost forgot we had a job to do.” She admitted quietly and turned her back on Pine. “Alright. I-I’ll call the police but then what happens after that?” 

“We hand ourselves over like I said. I suggest you get dressed in something you’ll be able to fight in and not just my shirt.” He walked over, giving her bare ass a smack and grinning. Jonathan did his best to lighten the grim mood, but he only received a whine of annoyance. 

After about an hour long phone call, Katie and Jonathan prepared themselves for their plan. Like Pine had said earlier, Katie put on more suitable wear for fighting as it was inevitable. “They should be heading to the location now.” The brunette placed her knife on her belt loop, pulling her cardigan down over it. She let out a shaky breath, more nervous than before as this was more dangerous than anything she had previously encountered. 

“Hey.” Jonathan took her shoulder gently, turning her to face him and tilting her chin up. “It’s gonna be ok, baby.” His eyes gleamed truthfully. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He leaned in, kissing Katie deeply. 

Katie kissed back just as eagerly, her arms wrapped around his neck and body pressed against his. She opened her mouth, allowing his tongue in and moaning softly. 

Pine pulled away before things could get more heated, the sex would have to wait. “Come on.” He took her hand in his own, lacing his fingers with hers as he led them both out. 

The brunette turned around and let go of Jonathan’s hand to lock the door. “I’ll go first.” She took a deep breath, stepping out into the street with her head held high. “Oi! Watashi ga kita, anata wa kakureru koto kara nukedasu koto ga dekimasu.” She spoke loudly and waited for the two men that had followed them to walk out. Instead of just two, around ten men walked out causing Katie to gasp and run for Pine. “Watashi o hanashite!!” She felt hands grab her and heard Jonathan yell for her. “Hanashite!!” This was not going as they had planned. 

“Iiya, anata wa jōshi e no tokubetsu haitatsudesu.” One of the men holding her chuckled. “Zan’nen’na! Watashitachi wa anata ga nani o shiyou to shite ita ka o sudeni shitte imasu. Keisatsu wa ima anata o tasukeru koto ga dekimasen. Watashitachi wa sukoshi mae ni sono mondai ni taisho shimashita.” He clicked his tongue and held his phone up, showing Katie pictures of the slaughter that had been committed shortly after she had made her call. 

“S-Sore muri!!” Her eyes were wide with horror as she couldn’t believe they had gotten one step ahead of them. A cry of pain brought her out of her disbelief as she looked over to see Pine being pummeled. “YAMETE!!” KARE O HANATTE OITE!!” She cried out, tears streaming down her face as she was helpless against the five men who held her still. “YAMETE!!” She begged, beginning to thrash her body. A cloth was placed over her mouth and nose as she struggled to break free and soon her body fell still and vision blacked out. Pine had been put in the same predicament as he fell victim to a chloroform rag as well. Both of them were lifted over the henchmen’s shoulders and carried out of their street. As they were being carried, blood of the innocent had once again been spilled as it stained the road. Bodies of families and on goers littered the streets every other house. An hour later, police had finally showed up, but it had already been too late; lives had been lost by the hands of Wisteria once more. 

\------------------

“D-Daniel-san!!” Masayuki sat up straight, shoving one of his male whores off of him as his boss made an entrance. “What a p-pleasant surprise to see you, sir! Yes, come in! Please have a seat-” 

The dark haired man waved his hand and smiled, “Oh no I won’t be staying for very long. I have news that troubles me so and I believe you have the answer.” He began to walk toward Masayuki, prowling around him like a predator ready to strike. “You see, I had been told my dear  _ sister  _ is wandering about in the streets of this country after escaping the place I ordered her to stay put.” His golden eyes shimmered maliciously. “Why didn’t you inform me the minute she had visited, Kibutsuji? Hm? Is it because you were too busy counting your money? Fucking a whore or two? Touching  _ my  _ μικρό ποντίκι? Oh I’m very aware of that too and how you fancy her. I have agents everywhere, “Yakuza lord”, and unlike you they actually inform me immediately of things that do not necessarily please me.” Daniel turned around, nodding to the three bodyguards that came in with him. He watched as they exited the vicinity before turning his nefarious gaze back to Masayuki. 

The leader of Wisteria ordered his whores and servants to leave, but his bodyguards to stay. “So, you have come here to taunt me? To insult my services to you?” He growled, grabbing a long, slim object from behind him. 

His action did not go unnoticed and Daniel took this as a sign of betrayal. “No. I have come here to inform you of your mistakes… And that Wisteria is no longer required of it’s services. From here on out, Daphne will be taking charge of Wisteria’s business as The Tigress has proved herself recently.” The vile man grinned wickedly. 

Masayuki flicked his hand forth, eyes wide with anger “ROKUDENASHI O KOROSU!!” His men flew past their leader and pulled out their Katana they had been hiding. 

Daniel cracked his neck and chuckled, dodging the swings of the blades and knocking the weapons out of the henchmen's hands. “Pathetic.” He muttered, grabbing one of the swords and cleanly decapitating one of them. “Wrong choice to try and kill me!” He taunted, again moving with fluidity and disemboweling the other henchman. This left Masayuki and Daniel at a standoff. 

Nostrils flared, the Yakuza lord ripped his shirt off to show his tattoos that covered his entire torso. “It will be you that dies by my blade.” He removed his katana from its sheath and drew a deep breath, focusing his energy. “BY THE BLOOD OF THE SAMURAI!!” Masayuki cried out, charging forth and clashing blades with Daniel. 

“Good! I haven’t had this much fun in ages!! Finally I get to show you how truly deadly I am.” Daniel purred, putting one arm behind his back and effortlessly knocking the strikes against him back. “Come now, are you really using old Samurai techniques? This is the 21st century Masayuki! Not the age of the warrior!” Belladonna’s leader spun around, slamming his blade down upon his opponent’s wrist. To add to injury, Daniel then sliced Masayuki’s achilles tendons and hamstrings. “Tsk, I was expecting more of a challenge.” He frowned and raised his eyebrows at the screaming crime lord. His eyes shined with pure evil as he watched Masayuki lay on the floor, bleeding out. “I could give you mercy and just slit your throat here and now, but what fun would that be?” He knelt down to look him in his dying eyes. “Sayonara, failed samurai.” He chuckled softly before standing up and tossing the blade aside, walking out and leaving the former Wisteria leader to die from a dishonorable way. 

“Sir, Richard Roper is on the line.” One of Daniel’s henchmen handed the leader his phone. 

“Ahh yes! Roper my friend, you have my sister with you do you not?” Daniel shucked off his white suit coat as it had been stained with blood. 

Richard looked down at a bound Abbadon and snorted, “Already set for you Mr. Hasapis-” 

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!! I WILL HAVE YOUR FUCKING HEAD!! BOTH OF YOU!! DO YOU HEAR ME!?” Abbadon shrieked, her teeth bared. Not too long ago, she had been tricked by Roper into believing he had a way to get to her son. Angry tears ran down her pale face as she glared at Richard, she was upset with herself enough, but more so that she thought Roper may have been an ally. Abbadon truly believed that maybe Roper was perhaps willing to help her as he could relate to her situation. 

“Tsk, such a filthy mouth on her. Didn’t your mother ever use soap?” Richard chuckled to himself, lighting a cigarette. 

“Unfortunately, no. That is a good idea though! Perhaps we should consider cutting her tongue out if she speaks to me like that again- On second thought maybe we will cut Niko-” Daniel smiled to himself as he heard his sister wail at the threat, taking pleasure in listening to her pain. “Anyways, Wisteria has been taken care of and handed over to The Tigress over in Seoul. She has impressed me as of late with the amount of prostitutes she has pushed through. She also has managed to find time to pick up Wisteria’s slack, which further impressed me. In the meantime, I will be flying out to Korea tonight to get things settled in. I want my sister in Seoul by the morning, is this understood, Roper?” 

“But of course, Mr. Hasapis, but of course.” Roper hung the phone up and then ordered his men to take a hysterical Abbadon away. “Those two should be here shortly.” He took a drag off of his partially forgotten cigarette and walked out of the room Abbadon had previously taken space in. 

Just in time, two men walked in with an unconscious Katie O’Connor in one’s arms. The other man threw a half conscious Pine in front of Roper’s feet. 

“Take the girl to Travis’s room and follow what he wants you to do from there.” Roper waved his hand, putting his cigarette out and shoving his hands in his pockets. “What a pity.” 

Jonathan looked up, his vision spinning “You sick fuck-” he slurred. Pine was trying to get up as best as he could, but failed as he was promptly kicked in the gut by Richard. 

“Oh don’t you have something else to say? I’ve heard that one once from you, come up with something better! Is your age catching up with you? It’s a bitch. Sooner or later you might have to start taking viagra-” Roper grinned at the frustrated growl from Pine. 

“Shut the fuck up! Give me Kate. Please.” He begged, falling face forward and falling into a state of sleep again. 

The double agent looked down at Pine, kicking his hand to see if he was faking it or not. Shrugging, he walks over to the door and picks up his suitcase. “I hope this is the last time we’ll see each other, Pine! Nighty night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!” He gave a toothy grin to the unconscious man before walking out of the manor and making his journey back to Spain. 

\------------------

The lights in the room were blinding as Katie opened her eyes, covering them with her arm. She groaned and slowly sat up, rubbing her head. “Jonathan?” She croaked, her eyes shut and head now throbbing. “Baby? Jonathan?” She called out again. 

“Yes? I’m not Jonathan, but I respond to baby.” Travis walked in, closing the sliding door and grinned wickedly. 

Katie’s eyes shot open and her heart stopped. She began to tremble violently as Travis came into her line of sight. “No… No, please no.” The brunette girl began to hyperventilate despite the horrible throbbing of her head. “NO!! NO!!” She screamed, struggling in Travis’s hard grasp. Katie continued to scream loudly, trying her best to kick and shove her vile ex off of her. The room suddenly felt more cool as she realized then she was only wearing a robe that fell open. It was at that moment she was mounted by the man who had ruined her life for two years, and she was unable to escape. 

From below, Jonathan had been thrown in the basement and bound. He woke up to the sounds of a woman screaming like she was being murdered. His heart sank as he realized it was Katie who was wailing like that. Try as he might, there was nothing that Pine could do to save her from Travis. He could only lay in the damp, darkness and listen to the woman he loved being raped violently above. Those screams that Jonathan heard that night would haunt him for the rest of his days as Cameron’s began to mix into Katie’s shrieks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:   
> Oi! Watashi ga kita, anata wa kakureru koto kara nukedasu koto ga dekimasu. - Hey! I am here! You can come out of hiding   
> Watashi o hanashite! - Let go of me! 
> 
> Iiya, anata wa jōshi e no tokubetsu haitatsudesu - Oh no, you are a special delivery for the boss. 
> 
> Zan’nen’na! Watashitachi wa anata ga nani o shiyou to shite ita ka o sudeni shitte imasu. Keisatsu wa ima anata o tasukeru koto ga dekimasen. Watashitachi wa sukoshi mae ni sono mondai ni taisho shimashita - too bad! we already know what you were trying to do. the police cannot help you now. we took care of that problem a while ago. 
> 
> Sore Muri- That's impossible! 
> 
> Yamete!- Stop   
> Kare o hanatte oite - Leave him alone
> 
> ROKUDENASHI O KOROSU - KILL THE BASTARD! 
> 
> μικρό ποντίκι - little mouse


	18. Bloodroot p. iii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Justice is finally served

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter does implore a lot of sexual abuse / assault and there is one minor graphic scene but I quickly dismiss it. There is also a bit of gore in here.

Katie lay naked on the tatami floor; bruises, bites, dried blood and semen temporarily staining her flesh. Travis and three of his men had left her like this in the dark, damp room after violently raping her last night. She was curled in a ball to keep herself warm as she refused to get up. Not like she could anyways as her body ached from the brutal assault she endured. Her throat was raw from screaming and because of that, she was reduced to whimpering. Sleep did not come to her as she was too frightened at the things Travis could possibly do while she slept. Her mind went to thoughts of Jonathan- was he alright? Was he not hurt badly? Where was he? Was he dead? 

"Rise and shine, whore." Travis slammed the sliding door open and stomped in, grabbing Katie by her hair and yanking her up. He chuckled at her yelp of pain and forced her to stand up. The Bloodroot leader scrunched his nose as he saw blood drip between Katie's legs. Using much force, he throws her to the ground and kicks her legs open. "Disgusting. You gotta be on your time of the month  _ now _ ?" He spat. 

"I-I'm sorry." She whispered hoarsely, trying to shut her legs. Katie yelped again as Travis kicked her legs open again. She could feel him staring at her bloody genitals and felt so ashamed. "Please stop looking at me." She tried to raise her voice but grabbed her own throat, rubbing it as if it would soothe her somewhat. For once, Travis listened to her and walked out, huffing. 

"She is to get food and water but no pain meds or clothes." Travis ordered his bodyguards. 

At least she would be getting  _ something  _ to nourish herself with. Thankfully she had access to the bathroom in her dark room. Carefully, Katie stood up and winced from pain shooting down her legs. She hissed from her painful cramps and limped over to the bathroom. Travis wouldn't be giving her anything to help the pain, but Katie always had the bath and hot water to work with. She flicked the light on and looked at the vast bathroom, slightly happy to see the bathtub was a comfortable size. “Oooh..” She moaned softly from pain, her hand pressing against her abdomen. Katie made haste and filled the tub up with hot water and sank into it with no hesitation. Relief came shortly after and she let out a silent sigh, hoping that the heat of the water would last for at least an hour. It didn’t help much, but it did soothe some of the aches in her lower half. She sat in silence, staring at the floor of the bathroom as her top half leaned out of the tub. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as her mind wandered to Jonathan. She covered her mouth to stifle her sobs, not wanting to draw attention. This was all of her fault, she thought. If she only fought against Jonathan’s idea, she knew that it would end up bad but didn’t anticipate this predicament. What would Angela do now? Katie rested her head at the edge of the tub, shoulders shaking as she wept silently. Maybe she should have listened to Jonathan in the first place, and taken the first flight back to a place that was no longer a home. 

\---------------

Pine grunted from pain as Travis struck him across the face. Here he was, bound to a chair and unable to fight back at all. “I should fucking castrate you first before I kill you.” Jonathan spit blood into Travis’s face. 

“That’s if you can. I don’t see any ways of you doing such a thing considering the circumstances." Travis punched Jonathan across the face again and grabbed him by his hair. He studied his prisoner for a moment and nodded. "I actually think I'll tell you where my base is since there isn't a chance in hell you'll walk out of here alive. I can say the same for little Katie too." A sick smirk cracked across his face. Travis chuckled as he saw anger flash in Pine's eyes. "Ooh I hit a nerve didn't I? Damn it's nauseating how much you actually care about her." He shoved Pine back and snapped his fingers. Two bodyguards cut the restraints on the chairs and left Jonathan still bound by his wrists on the floor. "Downtown New York in an abandoned subway station not too far from central. I've got a little surprise planned for the good ol' US of A." Travis pulled out an older cell phone. "I'm sure you know what this is." He wiggled it between two fingers. 

"Of course I fucking do. You realize that the military is going to come after you once you blow up New York- UGH!" Pine was cut off by a swift kick in the gut. 

Travis clicked his tongue and pulled out two more older cell phones. "Well it's a good thing I've got followers all over. I've got some in D.C. and I've got some in Cali. Oh wait-wait!" Travis put the devices away and pulled out a third. "I almost forgot Detroit! My old stomping grounds. Of course I had to pay sweet homage to the place that made me who I am today!" The deranged man began to laugh maniacally. 

"You're more dense than I originally thought. It's not going to last long whatever you plan to do-" Pine's mouth was then stuffed with a pair of Katie's panties and duct tape slapped over his lips. 

"I'll let you have one more taste of her before I decide how to kill you. Oh those are her panties she had on  _ before  _ I raped her." Travis waved his hand, dismissing his bodyguards before kneeling down to look Jonathan straight in the eyes. "The best part is that once all this that I create gets big enough, I'll be noticed and people will  _ fear  _ me. I will be unstoppable with all the grade A military weapons, stolen arms, and illegal arsenal I have. I can have whatever I want." the sick grin on his face remained plastered and unchanged. 

Jonathan shook his head, his stomach churning from how nauseous he felt. His breathing became heavier and sweat dripped down his face. Pine didn’t care about the fact his beloved’s undergarments were in his mouth at the moment, he cared about the thousands of innocent people Travis intended to maim. There was no redemption for a man- a monster, such as he. 

\-------------

Once the water had cooled, Katie lifted herself out of the tub and sighed. Her legs still wobbled slightly as she stood, grabbing a towel. She could at least use the rough textured fabric as a pad of sorts as there were no feminine care products around. Carefully, she wiped the fresh blood running down her legs and walked out into the dark room where she was being held captive. Placing the towel in a thick, folded structure, Katie sat down on it and wrapped her arms around herself. She felt so non-human and more like a caged animal to toy and prod at. “Jonathan, please be ok.” She whispered to herself hoarsely and felt an oncoming slew of fresh tears burn her eyes again. Her arms dropped to her sides as they became tired after a bit and her hand came in contact with an envelope. “What?” She muttered and grabbed the strange parcel, getting up and going to the bathroom for light. With shaky hands, she turned the envelope over and saw that it was addressed to  _ her.  _ Katie looked both ways and all around before cautiously opening it. The first thing that fell out were 3 Plan B’s, which had Katie slap a hand over her mouth as she muffled a sob of relief. Almost immediately, she got up and turned the sink on to get herself some water to swallow the contraceptive down. She wouldn’t have to worry about becoming pregnant for a bit now, depending on how long she and Jonathan were doomed to stay there for. 

The next item she pulled out was a letter written in slightly messy but elegant handwriting- 

_ My dear Katelyn, _

_ I hope that you have found this parcel I have left behind for you. I knew that you were going to be sent here at some point. I would firstly like to apologize for all the pain I have caused you and Jonathan both as I was the one to reveal your location. I am sure you understand I must do what I have to do in order to save my child. However, if you manage to make it out alive… Please, if I do not reach my son first, please save him and kill my brother. Like Travis, he is not worth redemption and deserves worse than to burn in the fiery pits of hell. I have left you three contraceptive pills to prevent Travis from impregnating you or any of his goons. Use them wisely and do not continue to sit around. If you are reading this and you are still alive, act now and do not waste anymore time. I am saying this out of concern for you and Jonathan, I have seen what this man can do and he is just as wicked as my brother. Please, take care of yourself and I hope that perhaps in another life we can be friends and meet on better terms… Farewell _

_ Yours,  _

_ Abbadon  _

Katie’s hands shook as she read the auburn haired woman’s letter, tears streaming down her face from how sincere this woman was. Abbadon did not deserve the life she lived in and deserved to live out the rest of her days in the lavender fields of France with her son. It was her dream to run away from the hell she was forced to live in and start anew. She hoped that Abbadon was not dead herself as she would do her best to not only save Nikolai, but Abbadon as well. “I have to be strong. For them.” She whispered to herself and shut her eyes, brain wracking ideas as to what she could do. There was one idea that came to mind, but it would force Katie to live through the trauma she had gone through all over again. However, if it meant she and Jonathan escaping with their lives, then she would swallow her fear. She had to be strong; three people were depending on her. 

Inhaling deeply, she left the bathroom and resumed her seat in the dark room. If she could distract Travis enough, then this could possibly give her the chance for true recovery. She would kill him. There was no questioning when she thought about ending the life of a monster who stole two years away from her. With her resolution set in stone, Katie entered a state of meditation and braced herself for tomorrow. She would have her vengeance. 

\---------

The sun rose high the next morning and Katie had walked over to the screen door, opening it and seeing two bodyguards immediately shove their guns in her face. “I’m not trying to escape you bastards. I want to speak with Travis.” she held her head high, knocking the muzzle of one of the guns out of her face. 

“You’ve got some nerve, girl.” One of the bodyguards huffed and stormed off to retrieve Travis while the other stayed behind and backed Katie into her room. 

It took a minute for the bodyguard to grab him, but he shortly returned with Travis in tow. The Bloodroot leader looked rather irritated at the moment. He slammed the sliding door open and glared down at Katie, but noticed that her face remained expressionless. This puzzled him and made him raise his brow, irritation fading and now intrigued. “What do you want?” 

“Let me come outside. I miss the sun… You can walk with me as you don’t trust me. I am still on my period so it would be appreciated if I could have some form of feminine product.” She spoke, voice still hoarse. 

Travis scoffed, shaking his head “No. You’re going to stay in here until you’re done bleeding without clothes. I know what you’re trying to do, little Katie and it’s not gonna work.” 

“Is that so? Maybe I realized how stupid I truly am for leaving you the way I did…” She stood up, grabbing a clean towel and placing it over her lower half as she walked forth. “Maybe I miss the pain. The way _you_ fucked me and not those other pigs.” She referred to his friends. Katie stopped right in front of Travis, raising her eyebrows. “I’ve got nothing to hide. I am empty handed except for this towel. I am asking you to take me back seeing as you are not satisfied with other women. I don’t ever remember there being another woman who sucked your fat cock as good as I did. Who let you fuck every hole on her body without abandon and who let you do as you wished, within reason of course.” She screamed at herself inside, knowing that she had to do this in order to save Pine. Katie stood on her toes, placing a quick kiss to Travis’s lips before pulling away and walking back into the room. 

The Bloodroot leader snatched Katie’s arm, pulling her out and smashing his lips on hers, forcing her to make out with him. 

Katie wanted to throw up then and there as the taste of his tongue had gotten more rank and disgusting. She wasn’t sure how long she would last, but it seemed to be working. 

“You’re absolutely right. Actually, I’m gonna have you suck my cock now in my room. I’ll listen to what you have to say. I want your word, Katelyn.” He narrowed his eyes. 

“And you have my word, baby.” She batted her eyes and gave a sweet smile, placing her hand on his chest for added convincing. She gasped suddenly as Travis scooped her up and forced herself to giggle as he carried her off to his room. Hook, line, and sinker. Travis was rather easy to convince and with a bit of pushing and prodding, she’d have him six feet under ground. 

\--------------

Jonathan groaned, waking up from a night of beatings. He tried to move, but his body was too sore to do such a thing, even shifting his legs- 

Wait, his  _ legs  _ were not bound. With this new found energy, Pine hoisted himself up then best he could and stood up. Blood rushed into his limbs after two days of being unable to stand and his feet tingled. These men were more stupid than he initially thought; truly, they were. Pine walked over to a tool kit foolishly left behind and turned his back to it. His hands grabbed a pair of scissors and using his long fingers, managed to position them under the rope. Sweat rolled down his face as he began to frantically cut at the fibers, hearing heavy footsteps above. 

“Man I wish I had a girl like the boss’s.” One goon spoke, coming down the stairs. 

Jonathan froze for a moment but kicked back into action, almost done with cutting the restraints. His heart beat hard as the footsteps grew louder. 

“Yeah, well I don’t trust her one bit. You heard her the way she screamed when we raped her- HEY!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” The other goon pointed at Jonathan, causing both of them to rush toward him. 

It was now or never and Jonathan took his chance, rushing back and holding his arms back to give the illusion that he was still bound. Once he got close enough, he kicked one of the goons out of his way and stabbed the blade of the scissors into the other’s neck and effectively slit his throat. Pine turned around quickly, grabbing the other assailants wrist and stabbing the blades over and over into the goons stomach. Once he was certain he was dead, Jonathan reached up and ripped the duct tape off. He spat out the pair of panties, tossing them aside seeing as Katie probably wouldn’t want those back. “Fools.” He panted, keeping the scissors on him but grabbing their guns and ammo. Pine thought for a moment and dragged the bodies out of the way before stripping one of them and dressing in the attire of Travis’s henchmen. Next, he headed over to a convenient can of paint and smeared some of the black goop over his closed eyes. Quickly, he made his way over to the small window and shattered it. He grabbed the clothed corpse and shoved him in the small hole. The other one he shoved into the closet. He knew this would buy him some time, but not much. Pine traveled up the stairs and saw a “fellow comrade” walking by. Using an American accent, Jonathan greeted the other man “Hey.” He tilted his head upwards and waited until the goon had his back turned. That’s when Jonathan struck, covering the man’s mouth with his hand and pulling him back into the basement where he slit his throat. “That makes three.” He mumbled in his normal voice, heading back up and seeking out more henchmen to take out. 

\----------

Finally, Katie had a pair of panties on and comfortably sat at a Kotatsu with one of Travis’s button down shirts on. She had even managed to convince him to let her have some pain meds and give her a pad of sorts. Luckily for her, Abbadon had left some feminine care products of her own behind. Thunder roared loudly above them, causing Katie to jump a little and grab onto Travis for faux comfort. 

“You’re still a little wimp, huh?” He did not reciprocate her gesture but instead slid his hand toward her backside. “That blowjob was nice, but I think I’d like to get a piece of ass…” Travis smirk, sticking his hand down her panties and slipping a finger into her back entrance. 

Katie seized up as her hole was still very much sore from the abuse two nights ago. She never liked doing anal and found it gross. “T-Travis wait- Don’t you want me t-to feed you first?” She didn’t make any move to stop him as that would cause suspicion. She couldn’t do anything no matter how badly it hurt. The feeling of his finger going inside of her was mortifying and she whimpered as he tried to push a second finger in. 

“SIR!! PINE HAS ESCAPED!!” One of the henchmen burst in, panting hard. 

Travis removed his finger and stood up, nostrils flaring. “What the fuck do you mean he’s escaped!?” His gaze immediately turned to Katie who shrunk beneath his gaze. 

Her fear was starting to get the better of her as she remembered this exact look he would give right before a beating. “N-No! It wasn’t me! I was in my room th-the entire time.” She gulped, her heart racing and hoping Pine would get there soon. 

For once, Travis took her word and stormed out to investigate the scene. 

Katie quickly looked around the room and saw a pair of wooden chopsticks and Travis’s pocket knife. She quietly got up, going over to them and beginning to sharpen the chopsticks as fast as she could. Her teeth ground together as her anger fueled her, fear discapating away. Once she heard Travis’s angry footsteps coming back, she walked over to the Kotatsu, putting her weapon by her seat. To make herself look inconspicuous, she began to clean all the garbage up around the area where the chopsticks were. 

“The fuck you think you’re doing?” Travis growled but then stopped short as he saw her turn around with his garbage in her arms. A smirk travelled across his face and he went back to his seat, sitting down. “Being a good little slave are we? How kind of you.” He chuckled, dropping his guard. 

“I just don’t think staying in such a dirty environment would be good for you, ya know?” she threw the trash away, praying he wouldn’t see the chopsticks by her seat. “I kinda feel bad that you put Pine downstairs with all that dust and gross stuff. But, I don’t care about him anymore! Truly, I don’t. I’m stupid.” She stuck her tongue out playfully, hurting herself from her own words. 

“As you shouldn’t. Yeah you are really fucking stupid, but you’re fucking hot. Come here you dumb whore and sit on my lap.” He patted his legs, grinning. 

The last of the henchmen that Pine was aware of dropped to the floor, gurgling on his own blood and dying slowly. He quickly made his way through the large manor, looking for Katie and Travis. Jonathan feared that he wouldn’t make it in time and she would be dead before he got there. Not having the threat of goons around, Jonathan began to run through the oncoming storm. 

Sounds of lips smacking together from Katie kissing Travis filled the room. One of Katie’s arms reached back as she felt around for her weapon. She had found it by the sharp prick to her finger and snatched it up. Her arm came back up and she stabbed Travis right in the leg, being shoved off in that instant. 

“YOU BITCH!!” Travis screamed, seeing Katie swing at him with another chopstick she had sharpened and grabbed her wrist. “I knew you were playing!! You’re still afraid of me!” 

“NO!! I’M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!!” She kicked him quickly, holding her hand up and grabbing his wrist with her free hand. She twisted her hips and had twisted Travis’s grip off of her, scooping her other weapon back into her hand. Making a bold move, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward, stabbing the chopstick into his eye and kicking off of him. Now that he was distracted, Katie shoved a cabinet over and blocked the entrance. She hopped over it, feet landing on wet wood and slamming the screen door shut. Wind whipped in her face and rain pelted down hard. “JONATHAN!? JONATHAN!?” She cried out, starting to run for it. This place was  _ massive _ . 

Jonathan stopped in his tracks as he heard Katie calling for him. “HOLD ON!! I’M COMING!” He replied back, taking off and following her voice. Unfortunately, her voice stopped calling his name and instead was replaced by a scream. Pine ran faster, slamming doors open in search of her. 

Lightning flashed, showing a deranged Travis with an eye missing chasing after Katie. “COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BITCH!!” He screamed, maneuvering through the hard rain as best as he could. 

Katie once again pushed furniture down, shoving the doors shut until she reached a dead end. Her feet hit rocks and she found herself staring out at the sea. “No, no, no, no!!” She began to panic as Travis pummeled through all of that and charged toward her. The familiar feeling of his hands wrapping around her slender neck returned after two and a half years. Her back hit the rocky ground as Travis was on top of her and was strangling her to kill. She knew that he knew she was vulnerable to this as this was one of his tactics to scare her. 

“You took my eye-” He growled, squeezing his hands harder “I take your life!” He began to laugh, watching Katie’s eyes roll. 

Air rushed back into her lungs as Travis was yanked off of her and Katie sat up, panting hard and seeing Pine throw a punch across Travis’s face. Her eyes darted toward a shining object on the ground as lightning flashed again and she made a run for it, grabbing the large knife she saw. 

Travis let Jonathan have the upper hand for a moment before he retaliated, slamming his hard head into his. “COME ON OLD MAN!!” He grinned, quickly removing the gun he held on him and knocking him back wards, punching him across the face. Travis then grabbed Jonathan by the collar of his shirt, walking over to the edge of the cliff and panting hard. “You will never win. No matter what you do, she will always be mine.” He took a step closer to the crumbling edge. “Hope you ain’t scared of sharks-” Travis’s dark eyes widened as he felt a warmth in his front. He threw Jonathan aside and looked down, blood seeping through his abdomen. Slowly, he turned around and saw Katie ripping the blade out from him and stabbing him in the front again and again and again, hatred burning in her eyes. 

“Go to hell.” she growled, shoving him off the cliff with the knife embedded into his chest. As she watched Travis fall into the depths, screaming out his final breaths, she felt… Calm. A weight had been lifted from her; she was finally free. Katie turned around, seeing Jonathan picking himself up and limping over to her. 

When the two met, Katie’s arms wrapped tightly around Jonathan and she began to scream and cry into his chest. “It’s over, he’s gone now. He’s gone.” Pine held her just as tightly, pressing kisses into her hair while shedding tears of his own. “He will never hurt you again, Kate.” 

“P-Please let’s just get the fuck away from here.” She sobbed. 

Jonathan nodded, scooping her soaked form into his arms. “Hold onto me, sweetheart.” He echoed his words back from the gala and carried her away to Travis’s expensive car. “I’m going to grab a couple things so wait here and lay low.” He set her down but not before grabbing her face and kissing her lips- oh how he missed her lips against his. He would have time for that later as he pulled away, running into the manor. 

True to his word, Jonathan came back with a plethora of items. Katie shucked off Travis’s shirt in favor of wearing Pine’s as she wanted to rid herself of anything remotely related to the now dead leader of Bloodroot. She hustled into the back seat of the car, watching Jonathan slam the trunk shut and getting inside. 

Not looking back, Pine turned the key and kicked the car into gear. His foot slammed on the gas as he sped off into the night and finally free from that house of horrors. 

A shadowy figure walked out of the brush shortly after Pine and Katie made their escape. The figure made its way over to the cliffside and looked down into the water. “He deserved worse than that.” Roper scoffed, adjusting his umbrella before flinching a little at the sound of something inside the manor exploding. He turned around and raised his eyebrows at the now billowing smoke and raging fire eating the house. “Pity. It was a nice house.” He muttered to himself and pulled his phone out, dialing a number. 

“Yeah. He’s dead now


	19. Cyclamen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love hurts 
> 
> (Sorry for the shorter chapter guys!!)

_ SMACK! _

Abbadon hit the floor after being struck by her brother, tears in her eyes. “He was one of your men!! Why do you have to take it out on me!?” 

“He was one of the finest I had!! He did not waste time and kept his promises, unlike  _ YOU. _ ” Daniel pointed a finger at his younger sister and grabbed her by her throat. “Travis being killed is a greater loss to me than losing you as Wolfsbane’s leader!! He was not soft nor did he hesitate to go through with murder!!” He shoved Abbadon to the ground and breathed heavily, staring at her with such malice in his gaze. Truth be told, Daniel never felt any true love for his sister and only used her as a pawn in his games. He knew that one day she would do exactly as she has done and try to escape the family business of crime. “In addition, he didn’t have a snivelling brat that I had to lock up-” 

“YOU LEAVE MY SON OUT OF THIS!!” Abbadon stood to her full height, teeth bared and fists clenched. “Nikolai has  _ nothing  _ to do with your vile follower’s death! The only one who is at fault here, is you.” She snarled. “Maybe if you were not such a piss poor crime lord, none of your lackies would be dead!” 

“So you think you are better suited for the job then, dear sister?” Daniel growled, snapping his fingers. At the sound of the snap, four of his bodyguards came in with their guns pointed at Abbadon. “If I remember correctly, you wanted no part of this. All you wanted to do was run away with that silly dream of yours. It is not my fault at all here, I did nothing wrong! It was their piss poor decision to be vulnerable.” 

The honey brown eyed woman knew what Daniel was trying to do and his gaslighting tactics would not work on her. She had grown up with this form of abuse and had become a master at detecting it. “Say what you want, Daniel. You know deep down it is your fault because you cannot process it through that thick bloody skull of yours.” Abbadon pursed her lips tightly as the barrel of a gun was held beneath her head. “Do it. Kill me and see how far it gets you.” She did not fear death. 

For a moment, Daniel considered blowing her head off but raised his hand for his men to stand down. A sick smirk spread across his face and he clicked his tongue, “Would you want little Nikolai to suffer? Knowing his mother chose death instead of him? Such cowardice… Perhaps I can raise a little soldier out of-” 

_ WHACK!! _

Abbadon’s fist connected to her brother’s face and almost immediately she was tackled to the ground. “I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE MY SON OUT OF THIS YOU EVIL FUCKER!!” She screamed, struggling against the men holding her down. 

The leader of Belladonna wiped his now bloodied lip and chuckled to himself. “The anger of a mother never gets old. Take her away back to her cell. I no longer want to see this traitor for the time being.” He paused and then looked at Abbadon with a smile. “Oh and if she tries anything, make sure that little Nikolai learns a lesson of when his mother decides to be a bitch.” 

“My, my.” Another woman’s voice enters the room. She giggles at Abbadon and motions the bodyguards to stop for a moment. Her long purple nails sink into the auburn haired woman’s jaw as she forces her to look into her black, cat like eyes. “Abbadon, you look positively  _ dreadful.  _ Then again, you’ve always been hideous in my eyes.” The Korean woman gave Abbadon a toothy grin before letting her go, but not before slashing her nails across her cheek. She continued to laugh as Abbadon cried out in pain from the unprovoked attack and made her way over to Daniel. “I hope that you have made yourself comfortable my dear leader.” She purred, wiping her now bloodied nails on a handkerchief before offering her hand to Daniel. 

Swiftly, Belladonna’s leader took her hand and placed a chaste kiss on the back of it before releasing it. “I can assure you that I much enjoy Seoul more than I do Tokyo. Thank you, Churihyang.” 

Daphne’s leader, Dea “Churihyang” Park, had become Daniel’s most favored branch due to his partial favor to Korea and Dea’s tenacity. He enjoyed having her as an ally. While she was certainly lazy in some aspects, she never failed to impress. “Excellent! My dear leader I have much to show you~ I’ve got new women that I need you to inspect.” Dea smiled wickedly, giving a chesire like expression and led Daniel into the den of The Tigress. 

\------------------

What felt like days had finally come to an end once Jonathan and Katie had reached a nearby city. There was no possible way they would be able to make it back to Tokyo as they hadn’t the faintest idea of where they were exactly. In the meantime, they stopped by the local clinic and had Katie assessed for any sort of damages. 

“Sate, hidoku sonshō shita mono wa nani mo nai yōdesu.” A female doctor nodded, smiling at Katie. “Tadashi, seikō suru mae ni sukunakutomo 2-shūkan matsu koto o o susume shimasu. Anata wa mada kanzen ni chiyu shite imasen.” She added. 

The brunette nodded and inwardly sighed at the fact she couldn’t have sex for around two whole weeks. “Arigatou. Kanarazu adobaisu sa sete itadakimasu.” She tried to hide her disappointment from the news. It wasn’t the end of the world but she wanted Pine to claim her again and make her forget that whole experience. 

Jonathan looked over at the clock on the wall of the waiting room and chewed the inside of his cheek. “Could really go for a smoke right now.” He muttered under his breath. 

“Ja, arigatou! Sayonara!!” Katie came out of the office and looked at Jonathan with a pout. “We have to wait two weeks.” She whined. 

“Oh come on, it’s not like it’s the worst thing in the world to wait.” Pine took her hand in his own, lacing his fingers into hers and walking out of the clinic. “Right now I could use your help in finding a place to buy cigarettes.” He peered around, his hunger for nicotine needing to be sated. 

Katie scoffed at him and giggled, “I can wait two weeks for sex but you can’t wait for more than a minute for those gross cigarettes of yours.” 

Jonathan rolled his eyes, pulling her along in search of some smokes. 

Once they had found some cigarettes, Katie and Jonathan returned to the hotel they were staying at. “Oh my god it feels so nice to wear pants again.” Katie fell back against the bed and laughed as she heard Jonathan sigh loudly at her comment. 

“You’ve been saying that ever since we got new clothes. It’s getting a bit annoying.” He stared out from the balcony, cigarette between his lips. 

“I know, but I’m just telling the truth.” Katie rolled over to the side Jonathan slept on and propped herself up on her elbows. She couldn’t stop herself from staring at what a nice ass her boyfriend had. In truth, he had a nice everything. The only thing she could do without was that nasty smoking habit of his. “Can I suck you off?” She asked abruptly 

Jonathan inhaled quickly and began to cough violently, turning around and patting his chest. “I beg your pardon?” He got a control of his coughing and looked at her bewildered. 

Katie’s cheeks turned red and she gave a coy smile, “Can I give you head? It’s not fair that you have to wait for me-” 

“No.” 

“No?” Katie was taken aback. 

“No.” Jonathan confirmed and put the cigarette out in the ashtray, walking in and sitting in the chair next to the bed, facing her. “You don’t have to do anything to please me. Just you being alive is more than enough satisfaction for me. I want you to remember this; you don’t owe anyone anything.” His face fell into a serious expression. 

Katie thought about it for a moment and realized that she was using an old habit of hers when she was with Travis. He had always told her that it wasn’t fair for him whenever she got something she wanted, and that she owed him more than her own worth. “Oh…” She sat up, biting her lip and feeling the urge to cry come on. “But Travis-” 

“But Travis what, Kate!? He’s dead!!” Pine snapped at her and immediately regretted doing so as he saw her eyes glittering with tears. His face softened and he shook his head, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that- but Kate, please realize that he cannot hurt you anymore and that he is gone. You are free.” He tried to take her hand but she pulled it away. 

“He is still here though!! You don’t get it!! I see him in my dreams and I hear his voice tormenting me every single fucking day! You helped quiet his voice for a while but his voice… It’s so loud.” She grabbed her head, covering her ears. 

Jonathan sat there and inhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. “Katie I think we need a break.” He let the words fly out of his mouth without abandon. 

“What?” She looked up, her eyes wide.” 

Pine growled out of frustration and stood up. “You just can't let him go! You’ve been so hyperfocused on him this entire time and while I believe you love me, you still have an unhealthy attachment to a dead man. You’re acting like a child- because you are one!! I should have never-” 

“Never what?! Don’t fucking finish that sentence!! Don’t you dare!!” Katie sobbed, her mind racing a mile a minute. He was breaking up with her when she needed him most. “You know what? Nevermind.” She got up quickly, her lip quivering. “If you really think that low of me, then why did you decide to want something with me? You’re still playing games, Jonathan Pine. I-I’m done. My heart cannot take anymore of this shit.” Her voice cracked a little and she stormed out, exiting the hotel. Tears ran down her face as she made her way over to the Shinkansen and took the first train back to Tokyo. 

Jonathan didn’t even try to chase after her this time and just sat there, staring at the ground. He ran his hands over his face and began to cry in broken sobs. Not only was he angry at Katie for her sudden actions and potentially putting herself in danger, but he was angry at himself. She needed him and he fucked up bad. He could only hope that she would return to the rental, pack her things, and fly back to the USA. That’s what he originally wanted after all, he didn’t truly love her did he? Who was he to talk when Sophie’s death also plagued his mind, each day and night. 

By the time Jonathan had gotten back to the rental, all of Katie’s things were gone. It hurt his heart to have the place so empty. Sure, they had a hell of a time and not exactly pleasant but he missed the sound of Katie’s voice. “It’s for the best.” He sighed, running his hands through his hair and sitting down in a chair, thinking what to do next. 

“Is it?” 

Pine got up quickly, pulling out his gun that he now carried on him. “Roper! I know you’re here!” He growled, looking around the house and finding Richard making himself at home in the kitchen. 

“Tea?” Roper held up the kettle but put it down as he heard Jonathan load the gun, making it ready to go. “Alright, don’t then.” He muttered and pulled a gun of his own out. “You know it’s ironic that here we are in Japan where guns are heavily restricted-” 

“ENOUGH!! Why are you here!?” Jonathan’s hands started to become clammy. 

Roper looked around, raising his eyebrows “Your little vixen is gone is she? Oh dear, hopefully she’s somewhere safe. Masayuki is dead so you don’t have to worry about him… Also, nice job killing Travis-” 

The look in Jonathan’s eyes was one of intent and he wasn’t about to play around anymore. 

“Fine, fine. No small talk either. I just thought I would stop by since I was in the neighborhood. Check in on my old friend Andrew Birch.” He gave a toothy smile, now walking in a circle as Pine still held his gun up. Roper was not one to back down either as his gun was also aimed at the other man. “I’m here to tell you that you’re not done. If you haven’t figured it out already, we both have a common enemy; Daniel.” 

“What’s he to you? I thought all of you crime lords were the same, don’t you have some sort of alliance going on?” Jonathan felt a bead of sweat roll down his face as he concentrated, watching Roper carefully for any sudden moves. 

“All that time under my wing and you didn’t bother to learn that we  _ don’t  _ form alliances? Pish Posh, Andy! I expected better from you. Even Corky knew better and he was inebriated half of the fucking time!” Roper’s smile faded and he raised his gun a little higher, still walking a circle of questionable predicaments. “No. He is nothing more than a nuisance in the scheme. His work is so sloppy and I can tell he’s stopped with being all fancy and putting flowers on the crime scenes. He messes everything up and someone has to put an end to the short-tempered bastard.” Roper shrugged. 

“Then why come here? Why come to me, knowing that I want nothing more than to put a bullet in your skull?” Jonathan hissed, narrowing his eyes. 

“I’m here to tell you that the Japanese police force is after Todd Redwood and Kit Redwood. They are warranted for arrest and will be sentenced accordingly for all the crimes they committed. I know I said I wouldn’t help you anymore, but this little game is just too fun! If I were you, Andrew Birch, Jonathan Pine, Jack Lindon, Thomas Quince, Todd Redwood… I’d run.” 

Jonathan swallowed hard, “How long until they reach us?” 

“Twenty minutes. Pack your bags and I’ll get you out of here and on the way to Seoul. I know that Miss O’Connor is already there and by herself. If you still have any care for her in the world, I suggest you hurry. The Tigress has a fondness for women with green eyes.” Roper watched as Jonathan made a run for it to grab his belongings. 

It only took five minutes for Pine to grab his things and hop into Richard’s car, speeding off toward the airport. Thankfully, Richard owned his own private transportation so Pine wouldn’t have to worry about being caught… Until he did. 

Richard whipped his head around, hearing police sirens blaring as he drove like a maniac. “We’ve got company!! Do me a favor and blow some tires.” He focused on the road. Several more police cars came into view, speeding toward them. 

Pine nodded, pressing the window button and leaning out of the car. He aimed his gun at the wheels and shot at them. Jonathan sincerely hoped that he wouldn’t hurt anyone or cause a giant mess. Unfortunately, one of the police cars flipped over, causing two more to crash into it at full speed. Jonathan felt sick and hurled out of the window at the fact he had killed innocent officers just trying to do their job. 

“A pig is a pig! Get over it!” Roper rolled his eyes. 

“Th-Those were innocent men!! They have families!! I-I killed them-” Jonathan felt sick again and threw up a second time out of the window. 

Richard groaned loudly, hitting the gas and finally out running the officers to cease Pine’s antics. “Come off it. You’ve killed a man or two plenty of times before and now you’re getting upset over it? You’ve grown soft!” He slaps Pine’s back, making sure he didn’t have anything left in his stomach to vomit. 

Jonathan coughs and rests his head against the headrest of his seat, closing his eyes. When he closed them, all he saw was Katie. It had only been a day since he last saw her but it was killing him. 

“So, we’ve got around five hours at the rate I’m driving. Why don’t you tell me what happened between you and your little lass.” Richard prodded. 

“No.” Jonathan growled. 

“Suit yourself. I completely understand the lack of trust and I would do the same exact thing.” 

True to his word, Roper and Pine reached the airport in five hours. Jonathan stepped out of the car and stumbled a bit. He shot Roper a glare when he heard him snort in amusement. 

“Not even a thank you? After all I’ve done-” Richard began to speak. 

“You haven’t done me any favors yet. Until you’re six feet under ground, then you will have done me a favor.” Jonathan huffed, opening up the trunk and pulling his belongings out. He quickly made his way to the plane and didn’t even look back. All he wanted was for Katie to be safe, he understood why she was mad at him. He could only hope that she understood his frustrations in turn. 

Once Jonathan had boarded the plane, Roper pulled his phone out and got into his car. “He’s on his way now. I don’t know where lassie is over your neck of the woods, but she shouldn’t be too hard to find. Remember, don’t grab him until you have her.” 

Katie paced back and forth, biting her nails as she began to panic. She had gotten herself into a big mess trying to do this on her own. First of all, she didn’t even know where to start or who to ask. All she knew was that Daphne needed to be taken down and  _ arrested,  _ not killed. She was so tired of all the death around her, all the frustration. Travis’s death seemed to impact her more than she thought as the moment of him falling replayed over and over. “Cam…” She broke down into tears, falling to her knees and holding her face in her hands. “Cameron I wish you were here!! I don’t know what to do anymore!!” She continued to sob, curling into a fetal position. “I’m so lost and, and Travis is dead and Jonathan hates me-” She stopped for a moment, her mood suddenly turning angry. “That stupid son of a bitch!!” She stood up, punching the hotel pillow over and over. “I hate you!! I hate you! I hate you, Pine!! You fucking asshole!!” her sobs became more intense as she then grabbed the pillow and hugged it. Katie unleashed a heart wrenching scream into the pillow so as to not draw any attention to her room. That was the last thing she needed. 

The brunette gasped as she came up for air but let out another ugly sob. “I still love you!! I still love you Jonathan!” She couldn’t deny herself. Katie knew it wouldn’t take a day for her to get over Travis and that it would take time, but she needed Pine’s love and help. “I’m so stupid!! I’m so fucking stupid!!” She buried her face back into her pillow and screamed again. 

Katie sobbed for around three hours until she could cry no more, eventually passing out for the evening. Her last conscious thoughts were of being in Jonathan’s arms, where she felt the safest. 

The door to Katie’s room clicked open, yet it did not wake her up. Jonathan walked in, sighing and knowing that this was a horrible idea. He saw Katie laying on the bed, tightly clutching a pillow with tear stains on her cheeks. Carefully, he moved her into a more comfortable position and pulled the blankets over her. When he walked in, Pine noticed a couch and decided he would take up that for the night. He figured that she wouldn’t even want to be near him at all since their fight yesterday. Jonathan made himself as comfortable as he could on the couch and found some difficulty trying to fall asleep. He hoped that he would wake up before her as he finally fell asleep. Pine did not know what would happen if she woke first. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: 
> 
> Well, it looks like that nothing was damaged too badly. - Sate, hidoku sonshō shita mono wa nani mo nai yōdesu.
> 
> However, I recommend waiting at least two weeks before having intercourse. You have not fully healed yet. - Tadashi, seikō suru mae ni sukunakutomo 2-shūkan matsu koto o o susume shimasu. Anata wa mada kanzen ni chiyu shite imasen.
> 
> I will be sure to take your advice. - Kanarazu adobaisu sa sete itadakimasu.


	20. Primrose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie's 25th birthday

The next morning did not go as planned. Jonathan had been woken up by a punch across the face and a  _ very  _ angry Katie. 

"WHAT THE FUCK, PINE!! I SAID I WAS DONE! HOW DID YOU EVEN FIND ME!?" she shrieked, eyes sore from crying. 

"Your phone has a tracking system on it in case you get lost." Jonathan groaned, trying to soothe his now aching jaw. "Fuck you have a really good punch." He muttered under his breath. 

"UGH!! I guess I'm gonna have to get a new phone now aren't I?! I told you I was done! I don't want to see you anymore, Pine." Katie quickly begins to pack her belongings when she is stopped abruptly by Jonathan gently taking her free hand. "LET GO!!" She tried to pull away, feeling a new onslaught of tears stinging her sore eyes. In truth, she didn't want him to let go as she found a sense of comfort in his touch. 

"No." He pulled her into his chest and held her tightly, even as she squirmed. 

"Please, Pine just let me go!" She whined and continued to struggle. Finally, Katie broke free and tried to make a run for it but was quickly stopped, and pinned against the wall. She broke out into a sob, beating her fists against Jonathan's chest until her arms became weak. 

"I am not giving up on you, Katie." Pine said softly, looking into her tear filled eyes. "I want you Katie, fuck, I need you." His eyebrows turned upward. 

Katie stopped completely, falling into Jonathan and beginning to cry louder. She gave in and pulled her arms in on herself and allowed Jonathan to hold her. The brunette knew that she couldn’t fight him for long as she still loved him. No matter how upset he had made her only two days ago, she would never stop loving him. In addition, her heart began to beat a little faster after hearing him say that he needed her. 

“It’s gonna be alright.” Jonathan held the girl close, rubbing her back. “I told you we would work this out together and make it work. I want it to work.” He swallowed back tears of his own. 

“Then why did you say all those things back in Japan?” Katie’s voice was small but she wanted to know his reasoning. She partially knew of the whole Travis situation, but she wanted to know if he truly thought of her as a child. 

Thinking for a moment, Jonathan stopped his hand and rested it upon her upper back. “I said it out of frustration. You drive me absolutely crazy and I can’t help wanting to be with you. I don’t want to see you hurting-” 

“Stop.” Katie removed herself from Jonathan’s arms and looked at him, wiping her eyes. “I don’t believe you.” She whispered, turning her back on him. “You’ve played this game too many times with me and yet I still fall into your trap.” She takes a deep breath in and tries not to cry. “I am done. I wish I never fell in love with you but here I am still loving you and hoping that one day I’ll believe that you’re telling the truth.” She exhales with some shakiness, turning around and smiling sadly. “We were never even supposed to fall in love. We were supposed to live a lie and pretend, you said so yourself.” 

He did remember saying that so many months ago back in Russia. “I did, yeah.” He nodded, showing her that he was listening. 

“I still did and I-I’m unsure about you but when it happened…” She tried to hold back tears but to no avail. “Death followed in our stead. Innocent people died because of us and I cannot live with myself because of that.” Katie wept softly, wiping her eyes. “So why come back to me? Why come and torment me? Do you get some sick enjoyment out of playing with my heart?” 

Jonathan’s nostrils flared for a moment and he took a step forward. “Never have I  _ ever  _ wanted to hurt you in any way shape or form, Katelyn.” He used her full first name to give emphasis on how he truly felt. “I am not asking for you to take me back, but to understand that I  _ love  _ you. That I will never stop loving you so long as I draw breath.” Jonathan’s blue eyes twinkled in the morning sun. 

A shiver ran down Katie’s body hearing Jonathan use her full name. It was a pleasant shiver, though she would never admit it. “What do you want?” she asked in a whisper. 

“I want you to understand how I feel and to work with me. I cannot do this case alone and even though death has indeed followed us, we somehow always prevail.” 

The room was silent for a moment as Katie thought about his words. She would have been in the same sticky predicament as he was if she was alone. The brunette wanted to trust Jonathan so badly, but was too scared out of the possibility of him playing games again. “Okay.” She agreed, nodding. “But we are nothing more than work partners from here on out… And even after the mission is done.” She turned her back on him and walked over to her suitcase to get ready for the day. 

The day was spent by going around and asking around about this “Tigress” and if anyone had seen anything suspicious. Unfortunately, both Pine and Katie came up empty handed. 

“Well- I’m out of ideas of where to start.” Jonathan took a cigarette out and lit it. “There was one woman who looked positively frightened when I asked. She just shut her door and told me to go away in Korean I think.” He took a drag and puffed smoke. 

Katie nodded and tapped her foot, “We can always go back to her later. I feel like because of her reaction she might know something.” She sighed, sitting down on a streetside bench. 

“Isn’t there some sort of red light district in Seoul? I think I read it somewhere in a book once.” Pine pondered aloud. 

The brunette shrugged and stared at the small coffee shop in front of her. Katie abruptly got up, taking Jonathan by his sleeve and pulling him in that direction. “Coffee is a good way to start off.” She noted as they entered the shop. 

The inside of the cafe was simple but very cute and modern. It was a nice place to meet up for a first date, though that is not what they were here for. 

Almost immediately, Katie noticed a young woman looking rather distressed and checking her phone every minute. She released Jonathan’s sleeve and nodded at him to grab them a seat while she interrogated. “gwaenchanh-a? ajig hangug-eoleul baeuneun jung-i la jalmoshamyeon sagwadeulibnida.” Katie sat in front of the woman, giving her a sympathetic expression. 

The woman shook her head no and looked around frantically. “nal delyeoga leoogoiss-eo nabchibeomdeul.” She began to cry quietly, wrapping her arms around herself. 

For around ten minutes, Katie continued to try and comfort the young hysterical woman. She even invited her to sit with her and Jonathan. The woman had aggressively declined her and stated that Katie would be taken as well since she was foreign. Katie bid the woman farewell and to seek help from the authorities if she could. “Well, I got one place called Mia-ri around a twenty minute drive from here. It’s a red light district and lately these people called the “snatchers” are kidnapping prostitutes and young women. That’s all she told me because she was too scared of others listening in.” Katie sighed, folding her arms over her chest. 

Jonathan raised his brows and nodded, “So something tells me that we’re going to make a trip down to this red light district and see what we can come up with.” He gets up and makes his way out of the shop with Katie in tow. 

Much to their sore luck, that night remained uneventful. No such “snatcher” showed up around the Mia-ri and the pair had to retreat back to their hotel room. It was the same for around two weeks. Angela naturally called to make sure they were ok and if they had anything. Katie had even hoped that something could turn up on her birthday, but no success. These two weeks were agonizing for the both of them as their inner feelings were eating them alive. Katie even had trouble falling asleep without Jonathan’s arms wrapped around her. Jonathan was in the same predicament and couldn’t even focus on the mission at hand while he wallowed in misery. 

It seemed that without their wild chemistry, any chance of cracking the case had gone cold. While death did indeed follow them, so did some sort of twisted success. 

“You know, the only person to ever wish me happy birthday was Cameron?” Katie broke the silence, turning her gaze away from the rainy window. “Not even my mom and dad wished me happy birthday, well when I was younger they did, but now they just don’t even care.” 

Jonathan gave her a sympathetic look,”I’m sorry to hear that… Well, if you’ll have me, may I be the second person to say happy birthday?” He took his reading glasses off. 

“No. You’re the third person because Angela is second.” Katie smiled a little. Her phone lit up and she picked it up, “Rob is the fourth.” She gave a breathy laugh. 

“Well now you have four people to say it. I mean, I know Cam is no longer here but I’m sure he’s saying it above.” Jonathan got up, looking at Katie as to ask her permission to sit beside her. When she nodded at him and scooted over, he took a seat on the bed. 

Stray tears began to slide down Katie’s cheeks as she stared at the ground. “I’ve never asked for much, but having someone say happy birthday to me is the best present I could have.” She smiled sadly and wiped her tears. “My parents could give two shits less about me. I don’t have any friends back “home” either.” She turned her teary gaze to Jonathan, the sad smile still on her lips. If she said she was just looking for friendship out of Jonathan, she would be lying to herself as her heart screamed for him to kiss her. She missed his love so badly, his intimate but gentle touches, and the way he held her. 

Jonathan raised a hand, his thumb wiping a tear away as he stared into her eyes. He was very much aware of the fire he was playing with, but he did not care anymore. “Happy Birthday, Kate.” His eyes flicked down to her lips and back up to her eyes. 

The now 25 year old girl scooted closer to Pine, her body willing it. She closed her green eyes and allowed Jonathan to kiss her softly, slowly. Katie’s mind began to spin from the feeling of his lips against hers as it felt so unknown but so right. 

Pine inhaled through his nose, his hands pulling Katie closer to him and slipping his tongue into her mouth, deepening their kiss. Katie wasn’t stopping him and he wasn’t about to stop either. It felt too good to stop and Jonathan felt his pants become slightly uncomfortable as his cock began to harden. 

“Jonathan-” Katie gasped, her eyes still watery but no tears falling. She wrapped her arms around his neck, indulging in another intense make out session as both of their clothes started to come off. 

“Tell me you want this.” Jonathan needed her consent. He needed to hear her say it and that she wouldn’t regret it. “Kate, I can’t live without you.” Pine stole another kiss from her before pulling away and looking deep into her eyes. “I promise you that I am telling the truth. I am not trying to manipulate you back into a relationship, I understand we need time and-” 

“Jonathan shut up and fuck me.” Katie fell back on the bed, pulling the blonde man on top of her and kissed him desperately, her hands roaming his now bare back. 

That was not a good enough answer for him. “Kate. Please tell me you want this and not just because you’re horny. I need to know. I want to hear you say it.” He grabbed her hands, pinning them above her head. “I love you and I don’t just want to fuck you. I want to make love to you.” 

Katie’s mouth hung open for a moment before closing again, her cheeks pink as she looked away from him. Something inside of her was saying to go for it and trust in him this time, to push doubt aside and let go. This something sounded like Cameron’s voice and he was encouraging her to accept Jonathan’s love. 

“Look at me.” Pine whispered, turning her gaze back to his own. “I will not do this if you are just doing this for a quick fuck.” He almost seemed hurt at the thought. 

The girl looked deep into Jonathan’s eyes and nodded, a soft smile gracing her lips. “Jonathan, please. I can’t live without you either- for better or worse we’re stuck together.” a tear slipped out. 

At last, she gave the answer that Jonathan needed to hear. His hands made quick work of her bra, discarding it and pulling Katie up, capturing her lips once more. He wanted to feel every inch of her pressed on his skin, from the plushness of her ample breasts to the soft flesh of her thighs. 

Katie stopped their kiss and got off the bed, pushing her pants and panties off before stepping out of them. She helped Jonathan remove his remaining articles of clothing with haste. 

"I cannot be without the touch of your lips upon mine for too long." Jonathan grabbed Katie by her waist, pulling her onto the bed. Just as he said, his lips came crashing down on hers. 

The brunette hungrily kissed back, her nails raking down his back as she felt his hard member grinding against her lower lips. She inhaled sharply as she felt the tip of his cock brush against her clit, and her nails sunk into his back. 

"I want to be inside of you so bad, but I don't want to finish just yet." Pine breathed heavily. Suddenly he removed himself off of her, putting Katie's legs over his shoulders. "Tonight is about you but I'd like a taste of something better than cake." 

Still slightly dazed from their intense make out, Katie was about to ask what he meant by that. Her answer came shortly as she felt Jonathan's tongue lick her cunt. "O-Oh! Oh Jonathan, fuck-" she worries her bottom lip, hands grabbing his head. 

Pine hums against her clit, giving it a sharp suck and grinned inwardly at Katie bucking her hips up. 

She needed more. "J-Jonathan please." Katie gasped, removing her hands from his head in favor of grabbing the sheets. Her hips continued to grind on Pine's tongue, desperate for him to slip it inside of her. Her thighs clench around his head as he does exactly that. 

The blonde man's eyes roll as he feels that sweet pressure of her thighs. Jonathan was definitely doing something right. He drew his tongue in and out of her pussy, savoring how she tasted. He could not get enough of this girl and lapped hungrily at her pussy. 

Katie threw her head back in pleasure, her chest just as flushed as her cheeks. "Ah! Ah! J-Jonathan I'm gonna come!!" Her voice is shaky and breath picks up. 

Since he wasn't really in the mood to play his persona, Jonathan pressed his tongue against Katie's clit hard. He moaned slightly at her thighs shaking around his head and her sweet high pitched whimpers of pleasure. Jonathan helped her ride out her orgasm, gently licking her oversensitive clit and giving it one last suck before removing his head from between her legs. 

"I need you." Katie held her arms out, embracing Jonathan tightly as he stole another kiss from her. She could taste her tangy flavor on his lips and in his mouth. Both of them moaned as Jonathan slipped his cock into Katie's awaiting heat. 

"You're so fucking tight." Jonathan gasps out, moving his hips at a moderate pace. He looks down at her, his blue eyes holding all the love in the world for Katie. 

"I-I'm sorry Jonathan. I'm so sorry. I was such an idiot for leaving you like that." Her guilt comes forth. 

"I'm sorry too, I will never leave you like that-" Jonathan grunts, picking up some speed, "ever again. I promise you. God, I love you so much." He moaned against her lips. 

Katie wraps her legs around Jonathan's waist, her nails raking down his back again but a little harder. "I-I love you too!" She squeaks, her clit throbbing with pleasure as Jonathan's cock hit all the right places.

"When all of this is over- Marry me." The words sort of spill out from Jonathan, but they were not untrue. "I-I mean it." His hips slowed for a moment and his cock halfway out of her. 

"I…" her green eyes are wide. If this wasn't an ultimate declaration of love, Katie didn't know what was. "YES!!" She cried out, happy tears spilling from her eyes. "Yes I will marry you!" A beautiful smile graced her lips. Katie pulled Jonathan down, kissing him deeply and gasping when Jonathan picked his speed up again. 

Pine pulled away and out as he grabbed a pillow, putting it underneath her. He then kneeled and grabbed her hips, plunging back into her. 

"FUCK!" Katie cried out, grabbing the sheets and whimpering loudly as Jonathan rut into her at a hard pace. This angle was completely different and felt  _ so  _ good. 

A knowing smirk made its way across Pine's lips. "Get ready to stay up for the night. I have no plans of stopping until you are filled with my cum." He snapped his hips faster, watching her breasts bounce with each thrust. "I can see it already, your belly round with our child, tits full of milk-" he laughed as he saw his beloved's cheeks turn a deeper shade of pink at his words. "Don't hide it, you like it too." 

"Y-Yes! I do! I want to be bred by you and only you!!" She gasps, her hips trying to meet his pace. Katie's eyes snap open as she feels Jonathan's hands grab her hips, slamming his own into her. 

"I am about to come. You will take everything I give you, is this understood?" He stared into her eyes. 

Katie parted her bow shaped lips and felt her own orgasm about to wash over her, "Yes daddy!!" 

"Fuck-" Jonathan clenches his jaw as his orgasm hits him hard, causing him to lose his breath for a moment. He leans over, kissing Katie while she comes not too long after. 

The two kiss gently through their climaxes, Katie whimpering at the feeling of Jonathan pulling out of her. 

"Happy Birthday, Kate." Pine pants, flashing a smile and leaning down to kiss her again. 

“Did you mean everything you said?” Reality started to settle in while she came down from the high of her climax. “Do you want to marry me? Y-You want me to be your wife?” Her voice became small and her eyes glittered with hope. 

“I do.” There was no going back on his word, but Jonathan loved this girl with his entire being. Despite the jobs they had, he wanted to wake up beside her every morning and see her face. He wanted to hold her and make love to her all night long. Maybe… Just maybe, his desire to have a normal life wasn’t too far fetched after all. 

Jonathan’s cell phone began to vibrate. 

He looked at Katie with some remorse and got up, slipping his boxer briefs on and picking up his phone. “Hello?” 

“Pine! So glad you could answer. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Roper grinned to himself. 

What perfect timing this asshole had. “What do you want?” Jonathan knew that hanging up wouldn’t do him any good as Richard was keen on getting what he wanted. 

“Oh I was just going to be friendly and give you a lead on some sightings near that one red light district not too far away. There’s been some recent activity that might be worth checking out.” 

Click. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gwaenchanh-a? - are you ok?
> 
> ajig hangug-eoleul baeuneun jung-i la jalmoshamyeon sagwadeulibnida. - I am still learning Korean. I apologize if I am wrong 
> 
> nal delyeoga leoogoiss-eo nabchibeomdeul -They are coming to take me, the snatchers


	21. Daphne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie's birthday continued

Why was it that everytime something good was happening, Roper always had to butt in? He had astoundingly bad timing. Jonathan turns to face Katie, nodding to himself. "Roper claims that we have a chance to see what's going on, but I am not going to bite it. Everytime he has helped us, you're put in danger." He sits on the bed, running his hands through his short hair. Pine didn't want to go and see if Roper was true to his word. He just wanted to spend time with Katie and make love to her in the later hours of the night. It was her birthday for fuck sake. 

"We should go and see." Katie suggested, sitting up and placing a comforting hand on his back. "This  _ could _ be our only lead. I know there is a possibility that both of us could get hurt." She lowered her hand as he looked at her. 

"Kate-" he scoffed, "It's your birthday." 

"And? I haven't had a more exciting birthday until now." The brunette gets up, shuddering as she feels Jonathan's cum drip down her inner thigh. Her cheeks burned a bright pink as she was also reluctant to leave. What other choice did they have? "We should probably find something suitable to wear. I'm going to assume we might have to go inside." Katie walked over to her suitcase, bending over and giving Jonathan a generous view of her ass and still wet pussy. 

Pine  _ almost _ whined at the sight, wanting to continue their passionate love making. He growled in frustration and got up, surrendering to the idea. He took out his blue suit that Richard had fitted for him and set it on the bed. Jonathan then took a brief smell of himself and wrinkled his nose as he smelled like sex. "I think we should probably take an hour to get ready. It is only 8 PM and the night is still young." 

Katie agreed to the idea and also voted to shower separately, so they wouldn't waste time having a quick fuck in the shower. For Katie's look, she opted for a black short sleeve mini dress. The neckline was a deep V and the skirt barely covered her ass. She almost felt violated by the dress itself and how much it showed her off. Naturally, she put on makeup a bit more on the heavier side just to look the part. 

"If we didn't have to do this, I'd have you where you stand." Jonathan came up from behind, nipping at her ear and taking in the fresh scent of her clean hair. 

"The same goes to you." She turns around and eyes him up and down, enjoying the teasing view of his chest and collarbone. Katie then cleared her throat and took Jonathan's hand, pulling him out of the bathroom and on their way to the red light district. 

The place  _ reeked _ of sex everywhere they went. Even the outdoors smelled of it. Pine was beginning to think that Roper had set them up as they had no luck thus far. He had to fend off a few drunk men away from Katie as they tried to touch her. Jonathan was getting more frustrated by the second and not just because of Roper or the drunkards, but also Katie having to pretend to flirt with some of them. At one point, he saw her look at him and stick her tongue out. She was playing around and asking for him to punish her later. 

"Ah, thank you for the information miss." Katie waved her hand and gave a wry smile to a sex worker. She turned around and nodded to a club just left of them. "She said that there was activity going on in there as some of the girls have been missing for weeks." She said in a hushed tone. 

"Guess we should go in then." Jonathan rolled his eyes as he saw a group of women practically fucking him with their eyes. He wrapped an arm around Katie's waist and escorted her into the club. The minute they walked in, Pine pulled out his cigarettes as he saw smoking was allowed. 

"Really?" Katie grimaces at him in disgust. 

"What? The sign says it's ok to smoke in here and I haven't had a cigarette in two weeks." He said with one of the sticks hanging from his lip. 

The brunette scoffed and brushed it off. That was his problem, not hers. She walked with Jonathan further inside with his arm still around her waist. "I'm gonna go ask some questions." She said over the music and quickly pecked Jonathan's cheek. 

Jonathan could not help but stare at Katie's hips and ass as she walked away. "Fuck, she's got a beautiful ass." He muttered, taking a drag off of his cigarette. 

"That she does. Miss, two drinks for my friend and I here." An accented voice spoke. 

Pine froze as this was not Richard speaking at all. Something cold was pressed to the back of his head. 

"Start anything and I'll pull the trigger." The man spoke. 

Slowly, Jonathan glanced to the side and saw that the man was Daniel Hasapis. 

Jonathan's jaw clenched and he did everything in his will power not to say anything. He knew he was looking at Katie with a ravenous hunger and it pissed him off to unbelievable heights. 

“I know that you want to kill me here and now, you have me within inches and yet I am the one with the gun.” Daniel grinned, his amber eyes focused on Katie, tracing her curves. He adjusted the gun in his hand, pressing it harder against the back of Pine’s head. “You can speak you know, I won’t kill you to speak freely, only if you make any sudden movements.” He chuckled. 

“I wish that I could kill you. I’m not putting her at risk to entertain you.” Pine spat, looking at the alcoholic beverage handed to him and then back up at Daniel. 

Daniel clicked his tongue, taking the shot and downing it before smacking his lips and raising his eyebrows. “Entertain me? Pine, I’m already entertained by the thoughts I have of what I will do to her when I make her one of my wives.” 

“Tell me why you bothered to press a gun to the back of my fucking head. She isn’t the reason, Roper told you where we were didn’t he?” Jonathan growled, not drinking the shot and setting it beside him. 

“That he did. Oh but she is one of the reasons why I am here, and pressing the barrel of a gun to the back of your fucking head.” The crime lord mocked Jonathan and eyed the drink, taking it and downing it. “You are the first person to turn down a drink from me, I’m a little offended. Here I am willing to talk to you like a man and you’re acting like a little bitch-” 

Jonathan’s nostrils flared and shifted a little but felt the gun press harder into his scalp. 

“Ah, ah! You wouldn’t want our little rose to see your brains blown all over the floor. It would break her poor heart to see her Jonathan Pine so easily taken out by someone  _ better  _ than him.” Daniel warned him, smirking as he saw Pine’s rage building up and threatening to bubble over. “I will tell you why I am here. I wish to make a bargain with you, Pine. I’ll even be nice enough to give you a few days, two at most, to think it over.” Daniel dug inside of his suit pocket, pulling out a business card with his phone number and giving it to Jonathan. “Now that Poppy, Bloodroot, Wisteria, and Wolfsbane are gone; I haven’t much choice but to unleash my newest group. Belladonna has spread her  _ roots.  _ You know all the riots in London and the United States? Some even transpire across the entire globe. They were doing that for a reason. Give me Katelyn and innocent lives will not be lost.” 

That was his bargain!? Jonathan’s jaw dropped and his hands shook with anger, “No.” 

“You would sacrifice thousands of innocent lives for one girl? Tsk, tsk.” Daniel shook his head. 

“Why are you doing this?” Jonathan asked through clenched teeth, his eyes on Katie and his heart racing. All he wanted to do at this point was run as far away with her as possible. Forget the agency, forget being a spy, forget everything. Katie was all he cared about now, she had him wrapped around her finger. 

“To show that I am at the top. That no one, not even the authorities will want to mess with me. I plan to create a society, one of crime and fear. Anarchy, war, violence, assault, death… The works. I want to make a statement about who is in charge and that I can have whatever I want because I manifested it to fruition.” The man’s smirk still stayed plastered to his face as he spoke of what he truly wanted. It was a typical bad guy scenario, but the only thing about it was that he actually had bombs planted in important places. 

Jonathan did his best to disassemble the phones during his stay at the hotel in Japan, but he felt as though there was something else he was missing. 

“Travis never had the actual call to set the explosives off. I just made him seem important to test him. He was stupid, but determined. Of course I am the one who has access when I decide for the bombs to go off.” Daniel removed the gun from the back of Pine’s head and tucked it away into his coat pocket. “Remember what I said, Pine. Two days.” 

All Pine could do was stare in horror at the crime lord as he left the club, tipping the madame of the club and exiting. Bombs. Bombs, bombs, bombs, bombs- 

_ “JONATHAN GO!! GO!!” Cameron screamed.  _

_ A younger Jonathan shook his head, adjusting his helmet and leaving his best friend for dead. The bomb went off, making Pine scream out of anguish. Several other bombs began to go off all around him and he made a run for it, sobbing as he had failed to save Cameron. The aftershock of one bomb in particular, blasted Jonathan into one of the Taliban's trucks that was no doubt full of traps.  _

_ His blue eyes widened in fear as a man leapt out from the truck, shouting in Arabic at some others. Pine watched as this man hit a button on his chest and began to run toward some of his friends. With all of his strength, Jonathan got up and screamed. He began to run towards them but stopped midway as the Taliban member blew up into pieces and killed two more of Pine’s comrades. A burnt arm landed right in front of the young soldier and he could only stare at it, knowing that Cameron had suffered the same fate.  _

“Jonathan!” Katie called, her brows turned up in worry as she tried to shake him out of his sudden PTSD episode. “Jonathan!” She tried again, gently taking his face in her hands and making him look at her. His pupils were blown wide as his eyes were and they held haunting fear. The brunette’s heart broke as she had no idea that his memories were this bad. “Breathe with me. Hey- Breathe.” she took his hand, pressing it over her heart. 

The feeling of his palm against Katie’s chest brought him back from his moment. Jonathan held his hand over her heart a little longer, feeling it beat beneath her flesh. “Katelyn.” He whimpered her name, his eyes glossing over with tears. “I’m sorry- Cameron-” He broke out into a sob and stood up, Katie escorting him out of the club. 

Not wanting to stay there any longer, Katie walked with Jonathan out into the streets and out of the red light district. She called for a cab as they had done so earlier and soon the pair were back in their room. 

Jonathan immediately grabbed Katie, holding her tightly and letting new tears fall. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I killed him.” He wept. 

“No. Jonathan you didn’t kill him, I forgave you. Look at me.” She pulled away from his embrace and reached up, wiping his tears. “Shh.. Tell me what happened, take as much time as you need.” Her thumbs continued to wipe away stray tears and her gaze never left his. 

The blonde man took a deep breath in, holding one of her hands to his cheek. “Daniel. He… He’s going to try to take you. He is going to set off bombs in major cities across the United States and possibly the world if.. If I tell him no.” Pine straightened himself out a bit, looking deeply into Katie’s eyes. “The mention of bombing and killing thousands of people… The way he was so disturbingly  _ passionate  _ about it was what set me off.” He swallowed to soothe his aching throat. 

Katie was speechless, staring at him with wide eyes. Her expression relaxed more and she pulled him down, kissing his lips softly. “I won’t let him take me.” She whispered, her hands sliding up his chest. Katie kissed him again, trying to distract him from everything going around. Their kiss began to become more intense as Katie was backed up against the wall with Pine’s large hands cupping her jaw. 

Despite everything that had just transpired, Jonathan’s mind began to wander. His cock began to harden as his tongue slipped into Katie’s welcoming mouth. He placed one of his legs between hers, pinning her to the wall. “You’re  _ mine _ . I will not let him touch you or take you from me.” He growled, returning to a breathtaking kiss and slipping his hand underneath her dress. Pine froze as he felt her bare pussy and just how soaked it was. She didn’t wear any panties… He stopped kissing her, looking at her before yanking her dress up and over her. “Your wet cunt could have been seen.” He pulled her tightly to him, smacking her ass hard. 

“OH!” Katie shuddered, sucking in her bottom lip as she wiggled her ass for more. She wanted this to take his mind off of tonight. It was her birthday after all and she missed being a brat and being spanked. “Did I make you jealous, daddy?” she whispered into the crook of his neck, sucking on a sensitive area of his luscious neck. Katie gasped loudly as she earned another hard spank to her rear. 

“You know the answer, brat.” Jonathan brought his hand down again upon her reddening ass, watching the flesh darken. He rubbed the meat of her ass roughly, feeling the girl he held shiver under his touch. “First you flirted with those drunkards, almost flashed your pussy and now you’re acting like a brat-” He moaned as he felt Katie suck that sensitive spot on his neck again. For that, he brought his hand down twice on each cheek. His cock was now straining in his pants and he was desperate to fuck Katie’s brains out already. No, he would make her wait as punishment. “Get on the bed and spread your legs.” He gave her ass another smack. 

“Make me~” Katie chuckled breathlessly, the burn of her ass from Pine spanking it making her pussy more wet by the second. “It’s my birthday, I can do what I want.” She bit down on the spot this time, earning her a harder spank. “O-OH DADDY!! DADDY!! MM!!” The impact of his hand caused her to stand on her toes, her legs shaking a little. 

“I don’t care, little girl.” Jonathan released her from his hold but shoved her on the bed, pulling up a chair and sitting in front of her. “Fuck yourself on your fingers. Spread your legs wide and let me see your fingers play with your pussy.” He licked his lips, eyes dark with lust. 

Katie sat up, adjusting herself in a comfortable position and spreading her legs. She blushed hard as she was giving Jonathan a full view of her glistening cunt that ached to be filled with him. She slid a hand down her body, rubbing her ring and middle fingers over her clit gently. Her head fell back as she was so sensitive to the slightest touch, pussy clenching around nothing. “Does daddy like seeing me p-play with my pretty pussy?” She rubbed her lower lips, never dipping her fingers into her hole. 

“Daddy loves it but he is growing impatient with what a brat you’re being.” He stood up, batting her hand away and sitting on the bed, looking down at her. One of his arms comes up behind her, fingers digging into her ribcage gently. His other hand reaching down with his fingers trailing down to her hip bones, never touching her where she wanted it most. “Tell me, who’s pussy is this?” He moves his hand lower. 

“Y-Yours- AHH!” Katie’s legs slammed shut as Pine suddenly gave a spank to her pussy. Pleasure shot through her body and she noticed Jonathan give her a look of worry. “I’m ok. Th-That felt really good, do it again.” She licked her lips. 

Jonathan retracted his hand, face falling back into his character after knowing she liked it. “You didn’t address me correctly, little girl.” He took his belt off, wrapping it around her wrists. “Legs spread. I will not tell you again and not let you come if you do not behave.” 

Katie spread her legs wide open for him, crying out from his hand coming down against her clit. Shockwaves of wonderful pleasure traveling throughout. “Thank you, daddy. I’m sorry daddy I’ll listen now.” She wiggled her hips and tried to spread her legs as wide as she could. 

“I didn’t tell you to push yourself either. But for showing me that you’re willing to behave, I’ll let you suck my cock. Do a good enough job and I’ll fuck you with my fingers.” He unzipped his pants and fumbled with them for a moment. Once his cock was out, Jonathan waved his hand to motion Katie to sit up and start. 

Having her hands bound made this a little difficult for Katie to do, but it was nothing she couldn’t do. She places gentle kisses to his length, licking the bead of precum with the flat of her tongue. Her eyes flick up at him while she licks his cock like a lollipop, giving the head a firm suck. 

“Fuck, just like that baby girl.” Jonathan sighs, one of his hands cupping her face as he watches her take his cock into her throat. His eyes close for a moment as he moans from the feeling of his length down her throat. “Shit.” He curses, trying his best not to move his hips. 

Katie relaxes her jaw and tongue, focused on bringing pleasure to her beloved. She moved her head back and forth, moaning softly. The vibrations of her moans added extra pleasure to her sucking his cock. 

Jonathan bites his lip hard, moving his hips just a little. He doesn’t want to fuck her mouth fully, but he is very tempted to. 

The brunette pulls herself off of his cock, gasping for air and a string of spit from her lips still connected to his length. She looked up at him with desperate eyes, pleading for him to touch her. 

“You’ve more than earned your reward.” He shoves her back, only to pull her to the edge of the bed where he kneels. He wraps his arms around her legs, burying his face between her legs as before; he couldn’t get enough of her taste. Jonathan places his whole mouth over her cunt, kissing and licking at her labia, sucking it and doing the same to her clit. He could still taste his own fluid from earlier, but paid no mind to it. 

Forget his fingers- Jonathan’s mouth was  _ magical.  _ “Daddy-” Katie moans loudly, grinding her cunt against his face. “Daddy, your tongue feels s-so good.” She leans her head back against the bed and gasps as she feels his fingers slip inside of her. 

Jonathan licked his lips, pulling his head away from the apex between her thighs and staring at her as he thrust his fingers in and out. “You like it when daddy fucks you with his fingers and tongue don’t you? Such a naughty girl you are.” His cock throbs with need and he starts to touch himself for some relief. Katie’s spit from earlier helped with his hand sliding up and down his cock. 

“Y-Yes! I love it, daddy!” Katie squeals, her back arching a little. Her walls suck his fingers in as she feels them moving in and out of her. “Oh fuck- Oh fuck!” she mewls, her legs beginning to shake as now Jonathan’s thumb was rubbing her over sensitive clit. 

“Do not come. Hold it.” He warns her, curling his fingers against her g-spot and pressing harder on her pearl. 

Katie tried her damn best to hold it as her orgasm was coming strong. She relaxed her body, trying to control her breathing. It was getting harder and harder for her not to give in. 

“Good girl, just a few more seconds. Keep holding it.” Pine scissored his fingers, watching her body jolt in surprise from the added motion. He could see she was trying her damn hardest and was a bit impressed. Jonathan decided to be mean and deny her the sweet release, pulling his hand away. 

“Daddy!!” Katie whined, pouting as she thought she was doing so good. The build up of her orgasm had faded and so did her willingness to behave. She shut her legs just as Jonathan started to climb onto the bed. 

Pine grabbed the base of Katie’s throat gently, never pressing down and noticing she was ok with that as long as he didn’t apply pressure. “Open your legs or you will not come.” He growled, giving her pussy a spank as she spread her legs. 

“AH-mm!” She held back the fires of her orgasm coming back and sat up, trying to push Jonathan against the bed but only getting denied. Katie was pushed against the mattress, her legs over Jonathan’s shoulders. 

Pine grabbed his cock, rubbing the reddened, angry tip against Katie’s entrance. He felt her pussy throb with need and looked into her eyes as he slowly pushed his cock inside of her. He would never get over the feeling of how tight she was. 

“D-Daddy!” Katie moaned loudly, pushing her breasts out as much as she could and whimpering as soon as she felt Pine’s mouth on her nipples. 

Jonathan released one of her nipples with a pop and began to snap his hips into her, sweat rolling down his face as he was still fully clothed. “I cannot wait until you get pregnant- later on. I will fuck you every day and remind you just how beautiful you are to me.” He moves his hips faster, the tip of his cock hitting her cervix. Noticing her legs were getting sore, Jonathan pulled out and hissed from the cool air hitting his aching cock. “Fuck it.” He muttered, shedding his clothes off as he was too hot to continue in his attire. He mounted Katie once again, his member finding purchase inside of her snug cunt. “It’s like your pussy was made for me.” He takes the belt off of her wrists. “Be a good girl and touch me.” 

He didn’t have to tell her twice as Katie spread her legs as far as she could. Her hands flying to his back and nails dragging down. “I-It’s so good!! Oh fuck!” She loses her interest in finishing out the DDLg play and stares into Jonathan’s eyes. “I love you, Jonathan! I love you!” She gasps, her walls milking him. 

The pleasure is too much for either of them to handle and Pine grabs the headboard, moving his hips faster, harder. “I love you all the same, baby.” He drops his persona to match her and feels his orgasm coming fast. “Hold onto me.” He moaned out, feeling her legs wrap around his waist and arms around his torso. Jonathan lets go of the headboard and holds her just as tight, pistoning his hips and breathing hard against her neck. 

“J-Jonathan I-” Katie cannot even finish her sentence as her eyes roll back from the most intense orgasm she has ever had. Her walls contract, squeezing Pine and causing him to spill inside of her. 

“Kate-” He moans her name as he comes, his hips slowing yet still moving as he makes sure to get every last drop of his seed into her. Both of them are panting, sweaty messes as they still for a moment. Jonathan lifts his head up, kissing Katie deeply as they both come down from their highs. After another moment or so, Jonathan pulls out his soft cock and collapses next to her. 

“I-I hope that helped.” She laughed softly, turning her gaze to his. 

“It did. More than you know. Are you ok?” He caressed his knuckles on her clammy cheek. 

Katie shakes her head and nuzzles into his touch. “I’m ok. I felt incredible actually.” She giggles and sits up, making her way to the bathroom to pee and wipe her now ruined makeup off. 

After a moment of privacy, Jonathan cannot help but to stare at Katie’s naked form while she cleans her face. He smiles to himself as he thinks of how lucky he is to have her and that he was thankful she was willing to try again. It was never his intention to play games with her feelings, he just couldn’t process the idea of ever falling in love again. Not until now. 

“Jonathan, you’re staring at me.” Katie says shyly, a smile on her face. 

“I can’t help it. I’m in the presence of a literal goddess, wouldn’t you find it hard not to stare? Especially since she’s so short!” 

“You jerk! I thought you were being all sentimental and then you had to go and say that!” Katie ran back into the room, grabbing her pillow and beating him with it, laughing. 

“Hey! Hey! Don’t start this because I  _ will  _ win.” Jonathan holds his hands up, grinning. 

“Yeah? Says who?” 

“Says the guy who won all the dormitory pillow fights back in school!” Pine grabs his pillow and whacks it over Katie, making her squeal in delight. 

“Ok! I yield!!” She giggles, placing her pillow back down and crawling into bed. 

After Jonathan had also taken care of his business, he pulled Katie’s naked form against his own. His lips peppered kisses on her shoulder as he held her in his arms. “I won’t let go. Not ever.” 

\---------------------

Outside of the hotel, a woman stared at the window of where Jonathan and Katie were staying. A wide, cat-like smirk spread across her round face. “He said he would give Pine two days to think about his decision… I’m giving him until tomorrow.” 


	22. Daphne p. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter The Tigress

Katie awoke the next morning with Jonathan's arms wrapped tightly around her. She looked over at the clock to see what time it was and it read 8 AM. A little more sleep with Jonathan wouldn't hurt, would it? Katie snuggled further into the sheets, her naked body pressing against Jonathan's. Her cheeks became warm as she felt Pine's erect cock poking at her backside. She looked over her shoulder and noticed he was still fast asleep. Katie bit her lip, experimentally rubbing her behind against the sleeping man's member. Pine gave a little moan, his breath hitting the back of her neck. The heat of his breath caused Katie to shiver slightly. Katie rubbed her thighs together and felt that she was already slick, and her pussy throbbing. Carefully, she crawled out of Jonathan's hold and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Naturally, she wouldn't do anything without his consent. 

"Jonathan?" She whispered 

Inhaling sharply, Jonathan opened his eyes and blinked a few times. "Morning." He flashed a smile and raised an eyebrow at Katie's current sitting position. "Are you alright?" 

"More than. Actually, I was wondering if I could ride you-" 

Jonathan didn't give her a chance to finish before shoving the sheets down and pulling her over. "Absolutely." He settles down, getting comfortable on his back. "You've become a little cock slut." He flashed a grin. 

The brunette blushed and bit her lip, straddling his waist. "Only for you." She reached back, grabbing his cock and rubbing the tip against her entrance. 

"This has got to be the best way to wake up." Pine commented, his hands finding purchase on her hips as he watched her sink down onto his aching cock. "Oh fuck you feel so good." Jonathan moans softly. 

Katie gasps as the tip of Pine's member already hits a sensitive area. "I don't wanna leave this room today." She admitted, her cheeks red. "I want you to do something." She sat still, her walls pulsating around Jonathan's cock. 

"And what would that be?" He tried to hold his composure, brain muddled by arousal. 

"I know that we shouldn't, seeing as we have the mission at hand… But… I want you to fuck me all day." Katie raised herself up and began to ride Jonathan's length at a slow pace. "I-I want you to breed me." She mutters before feeling Jonathan's hands completely stop her hips to a halt. 

His blue eyes twinkled mischievously and a knowing smirk touched his lips. "Say that again? The last bit." 

"I want daddy to breed me." She answered coyly, desperate to move her hips. 

Jonathan's fingers dug harder into her hips and he almost growled at her, "Say that louder, little girl." He bucked his hips up and bit his lip at the pleasant friction. She was so tight around him. 

Katie cried out at the sudden movement and whined as Jonathan didn't move again. She gasped as he gave a sharp slap to her already deliciously aching ass. Her walls clenching down on his cock. "Don't make me say it louder, please daddy." She spoke softly. 

Jonathan's hand came down on Katie's ass again and again. "I don't care whoever hears us, let them." He smacked her ass again. "Now say what you want daddy to do to you, and speak louder. You will warm my cock and receive spankings until I am satisfied." 

"No! It's too embarrassing!!" Katie covered her face and cried out again from a harder slap to her ass. She secretly enjoyed having her rear smacked like this, but sitting still on his cock was  _ agonizing.  _ "Daddy!!" She half moaned half whined from another spank. 

This was just as torturous to Jonathan as it was to Katie. He could feel her pussy pulsing around his member and he wanted so badly to just move already. No, he would wait until he received a reply he wanted. "Say it or you will not be allowed to come." He growled. 

"I want daddy to breed me!!" She finally caved, saying it louder. "I want daddy to fuck my little pussy and put a baby inside of me!!" She hoped that she wouldn't actually get pregnant. Today was one of her safe days, wasn't it? 

That was more than enough of an answer to please Jonathan. He stared at her, waiting for her to move as he loosened his grip on her hips. 

Katie placed her hands gently on his abdomen for support as she began to bounce gently on his cock, grateful to finally move. Once she had a good enough rhythm, she removed her hands completely. "Daddy!" She gasps as she bounces faster and harder. 

"That's it. Just like that, such a good girl." Jonathan began to match her tempo, thrusting up. His movements caused Katie to cry out louder. "Fuck, you are so beautiful like this. Riding my cock and begging me to breed you like the little cockslut you are." He growled, watching her breasts move with every thrust. 

"Ah! Ah! Ahh!" Katie threw her head back, gasping from intense pleasure. "Daddy!" She whimpered, reaching down and beginning to play with her clit. She needed more- but Jonathan batted her hand away and stopped moving. 

"Did I say you could touch yourself?" He raised an eyebrow, holding her hips down once again. 

"No, daddy." She gave a small smirk, her hand going back down and rubbing her sore, swollen clit. Once again, her hand was batted away. 

"Do not test me, little girl. You should know that brats do not get rewarded for their disobedience." He removed himself from her, rolling off the bed and grabbing his belt. He then took her wrists and tied them together, shoving her on the bed with her ass up. "Look at you. Your cunt is soaking wet and begging for me to fill it up." He mounted her again, grabbing her hips and beginning to pound into her. 

"D-Daddy!! Daddy!" She cried out in surprise, this new position hitting spots that made her mouth hang open. "Please come inside me! Please!" She whined. One of Pine's hands came around and gently grabbed Katie by the throat. She was pulled up and held in place with her back to his chest. 

"I don't know if I should." He nipped her ear, removing the belt off of her wrists. Jonathan grabbed her hand and placed it over her womb, pressing it down a bit. "Do you feel that? Me inside of you?" His breath was hot on her neck and teeth sharp against the flesh. 

Katie  _ could  _ actually feel him moving inside of her. Never before has she ever experienced something quite like this. "Yes daddy. It f-feels so good." She moaned, her head falling back a little. 

Jonathan sucked at his recent love bite on her neck, releasing it with a slight pop. His hand snuck down and began to play with her clit. The cry he received made him chuckle and move his hips harder. "Tell me what you want." He rasped in her ear, his free hand grabbing one of her breasts and pinching her nipple. 

"I-I want daddy to come inside of my pussy!! I want him to fill me up with his cum and breed me over and over until he puts a baby inside of me!" She whimpers, her hands grabbing at his forearms. "I want it deep inside of me!" She bucks her hips, her walls tightening around Jonathan's cock. 

"And breed you I will, little girl. I will come inside of you over and over. I do not plan to stop fucking your pussy until I am certain you have fallen pregnant." Jonathan pulls Katie as tightly to his body as he can, feeling his orgasm approaching. His hand moves a little faster, thumb rubbing faster circles on her clit. "Come. Come now." He growls, biting her shoulder. 

"DADDY!!" Katie screams, nails digging into his arms as she comes hard. Her body shakes as her orgasm washes over her. 

"Fuck, I'm coming!" Pine moans, burying his cock into her pussy as far as he can go. He comes hard, moaning her name into the spot where he bit her. "Shit.. Mmm." He thrust his hips a few more times before pulling out of her. "Are you alright?" He panted, turning her around to curiously admire the love bites he put on her last night. 

"Mhm." Katie wrapped her arms around him, pressing her body against his. 

"Nothing hurts at all? I know I did a number on your ass." He gives a breathy chuckle. 

"Nope. I like it when you smack my ass like that." Katie looks up at him, still catching her own breath. "I do wanna stay and fuck all day though." She giggles. 

Jonathan returns her smile and shoves her down on the bed, "I don't mind if we play hooky just once. I want to fuck you all day, I cannot get enough of you." He leans down, grabbing her head and whispering dirty things he wants to do to her. 

"Jonathan!!" Katie squeaks in surprise at his filthy mouth. She can feel her clit throb again for attention. "Let me at least spare you from my morning breath." She shoves him off, walking into the bathroom. 

Jonathan stares at her while she brushes her teeth, admiring her body. "I suppose I should do that too." He gets up himself and also brushes his teeth. 

Finally done, the two are ready for another round and on the bed. Their lips crash together in a searing kiss and tongues tangling. A loud growl from Katie's stomach interrupts their intense makeout. 

Jonathan stops and looks at her, raising a brow "I'm going to assume we can't go  _ all _ day." He gives her one more kiss before getting up and putting on his clothes. "Stay here and I'll grab us something from the lobby, ok?" He didn't want to risk anything. If any of Daphne's agents were here he wasn't about to leave Katie out in the open. 

"Okay." Katie leaned in, kissing Jonathan again and lingering there for a moment. "I love you." She said, smiling softly.

"And I, you." He replies before heading down to grab them breakfast. 

The brunette gets up and grabs a pair of her panties before she rummages around in Pine's suitcase. She wants to wear one of his shirts but frowns as she sees a hidden pack of cigarettes. "That is so gross." She mutters to herself. Finally she finds a t-shirt of his and puts it on, smelling it. Katie sighs as it smells  _ wonderful _ . Jonathan may have a nasty habit of smoking, but the scent never lasted for long as he always wore the best smelling cologne. She looks at herself in the mirror and giggles to herself. His shirt almost looked like a dress on her. There is a sudden knock at the door and Katie walks over, a skip in her step. "What did you…." She stops as this isn't Jonathan at the door, but two strange women. Her green eyes dart down and notice one of them is holding a gun. 

"Come with us quietly and we will not hurt anyone. The Tigress told us you are not to be manhandled." One of them spoke and grabbed Katie's arm. 

The american woman looked at the hand on her arm and sighed. "Men intimidate me, but beating up another woman? I don't have any issue with that." Katie snapped the wrist of the woman and quickly sent her knee into the women's gut. 

"Guess she will have to come back with  _ some _ bruises!" The other shouted, grabbing Katie from behind. 

"I'm not going anywhere!!" She screams, knocking the back of her head as hard as she can into the woman holding her. Once free, Katie begins to run down the hall. She reaches the elevator just in time as gunshots are being fired. "Jonathan has to know now!" She hissed under her breath and pressed the button to the lobby floor. The elevator stops at the next floor and there is another woman waiting. "I guess they have back up." She ran to the kidnapper at full speed, front flipping over and wrapping her thighs around the woman's neck. She knew she couldn't actually do the move, but she twisted her legs and suddenly heard a sickening crack. "HOLY SHIT!!" Katie fell backwards and looked for the stairs seeing as it was her only option at this point. The elevator dinged and began to open with the two from above. Katie reached the stairs in time and slid down the rail as she had limited time to escape. To her luck, no one was in the stairwell and she reached the lobby floor. As soon as she opened the door, she was faced with the barrel end of a gun. 

"Good morning." Roper smirked and examined Katie, putting his gun away. "Had a bit of coital fun before we got here, did we?" He nodded to her state of attire. 

Katie didn't answer, fear having her frozen in place.

"I'll take that as a yes. Anyways, I thought that I wouldn't  _ have _ to interfere but because of your little stunt upstairs; I did." He frowned and snapped his fingers. Around 6 henchmen came around the corner and tossed an unconscious man to the ground. 

"JONATHAN!!" Katie screamed, finding enough willpower to run to him. 

"Ah, ah! Let her do it." Roper called his men off from grabbing her. "I'll let the lass have her last few minutes with Pine." He rolled his eyes.

Katie cradled Jonathan's head to her chest and held him tightly. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she noticed how beaten up he was. "Oh, Jonathan." She stroked his face, her tears dripping onto his skin. "This is my fault." She whispered, guilt settling into her gut. A grip around her arm made her shriek and pull away, holding onto Jonathan tighter. She would not leave him. "I-If you take me, he comes with me. I am not leaving him!" Her voice was shaky. 

"I'm afraid we can't do that, lass. The Tigress doesn't care for men. I've been kind enough to let you have a minute, now it's time to go." Richard waved his hand. 

"NO!" Katie's lip quivered and she looked down at Jonathan. "I won't leave him! I can't." 

Roper sighed loudly and snapped his fingers again, the men yanking Katie away from an unconscious Pine. 

"NO!! NOOO!! JONATHAN!! JONATH-MMMGHHMM!!!" The girl struggled against their grips and her mouth was covered by one of their gloved hands. She thrashed as hard as she could, her eyes never leaving Jonathan. Katie began to hyperventilate, her heart breaking as she was dragged out of the hotel and thrown into the back of a van. 

"Kate…" Jonathan croaked softly, his hearing muddled and vision blurred. "Have to get… T'her." He coughed as a foot came down on his chest. 

"Sorry, Andy. There will be no "getting to her" again." Roper dug his heel into Pine's ribs, snapping a few and smirking at the sound of his screams. "Alright boys, I think we've had our fun here. Let's take care of him and make sure he doesn't come back." 

BANG! 

A pain coursed through Jonathan's chest and the world around him became black. 

\-------------------------- 

The entire ride to wherever was spent sobbing. Katie could not control herself as she did not know what would happen to her lover. She prayed that he wasn't dead and that he would make it out somehow. The girl huddled herself in a corner of the cold van, trying to gain some warmth. Her teeth chattered and her cheeks were a slight pink. The only thing that truly warmed her cheeks were her tears. 

"Well? Are you going to bring her in or not?" Dea snapped at the men just standing there. "All you men are useless! That's why I'm gay! Cannot do a goddamn thing with those puny little brains of yours." She growled, tapping her pipe. Her cat like eyes followed the men as they walked out of the room in a rush. Sighing deeply, the Tigress whistled, calling forth one of her servant girls. "Fetch me some wine. Red." She smirked at the naked woman and grabbed her chain around her neck. "Actually." She spread her legs. "Pleasure me." 

The servant did as she was told, getting down onto her knees and beginning to give oral to the Tigress. Many whip scars tainted her back as a reminder of what happened when you disobeyed. In addition, she had claw-like marks from the Tigress's nails. 

Katie's arms were bound as she walked into the large, ornate room. She was shoved onto the floor in front of the Tigress and her servant, who currently was performing cunnilingus. 

"Mmm, now there is a pretty girl!" Dea shoved the servant away. "Back to your holding cell." She snarled and pushed her skirt down, walking over to Katie. The Tigress almost purred at the sight of Katie's eyes. "Such gemstones! Let me have a better look at you." She snatched her tear stained face. "I don't even want to give you to  _ him.  _ I'll make you my own wife!" She cackled before dropping her facade. "Unfortunately that isn't how it works, but I will inspect you!" She pulled a knife out and cut the bonds holding Katie's arms. "Strip naked. Now." 

Still shivering, Katie quickly did as she was told. "P-Please don't hurt me." She says silently. 

"Hurt you? Why would I want to hurt such a pretty face?" The Tigress mocked a sympathetic expression. She walked around, inspecting Katie's body and purring in delight. "Mmm, yes. I will have you in my bed before I ship you out tomorrow morning- On second thought." Her nose wrinkled at the sight of semen trickling down Katie's thighs. 

As if she couldn't be any more mortified, Katie shut her eyes tightly and held her hands over her mouth to quiet herself. 

"Disgusting. I wanted to fuck you but I will not touch a woman who has been tainted with a mans seed." She spat. "You may put your clothes back on." The Tigress waved her hand and watched Katie scramble to put the only two articles of clothing on. "Throw her in the cell for shipment tomorrow morning. No food or water. If she gets hungry enough she can eat the cum from her filthy cunt." Dea turned around, and snapped her fingers. 

"Wh-Where am I going?" Katie asked quickly before the guards took her. 

The tigress turned around, grinning. "First you are to go to China. I run a sex trafficking line and we have to make sure you get to the check point. Last you will be visited by your owner and taken to wherever he lives. Luckily for you, Mr. Daniel Hasapis has purchased you." 

Katie's stomach dropped and she burst into tears again, unable to stop. She was dragged to a cold, dark and damp room as she sobbed. She was thrown into a tiny cell that was big enough for her to sit but not stand. The brunette curled in on herself and trembled as she sobbed. This was hell. 

\-------------

“ _ Recent reports suggest that these attacks are happening world wide. The organization calling itself “Root” plans to take over major cities and has even engaged in battle with Military reinforcement-”  _

Angela turns the TV off, rubbing her eyes and looking at her young child. She had to evacuate the office early as there had been a bombing in downtown London. Not hearing from Katie or Pine only makes her worry all the more. “This cannot be good… Pine I hope you know what you’re doing.” 


	23. Ulex, Coltsfoot, & Black Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death and life 
> 
> WARNING!! READ THIS AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AS THERE IS A CHILD DEATH IN THIS CHAPTER!!

No matter what Katie did, she felt sick. Her stomach churned at every small move she made and the rocking of the ship she was on didn’t help. To make matters worse, the room she was being kept in was hotter than all blazes. She curled into a ball and bit down on her lower lip, trying to ignore the nausea. Katie had already thrown up several times on the way to China. What little food she had been given came right back up. All she did was sleep as it was the only thing she could do besides relieve herself occasionally. She didn’t even know what day it was or how many had passed anymore. Trips to the bathroom turned out to be humiliating as she had 0 privacy whatsoever. She had to be watched 24/7 and was even being monitored by a camera in the room. "Jonathan…" she whispered softly to herself as she lay on the floor. Katie closed her eyes, trying to fall back into a light sleep. 

The intercom in the ship announced that they were shortly approaching land. This meant nothing to the brunette as she continued to try and sleep. She was given no blanket, mattress of any kind, or pillow the entire time. 

"No." Katie whimpered as hands grabbed her and pulled her upwards. The person yanking her to stand smacked her across the face and yelled something. She couldn't understand any of what they said as it was all in Mandarin. All she knew was that her arms were bound behind her back and a rope was tied around her neck. She squeaked as she was shoved out onto the dock, the sun blinding her momentarily. It felt nice to feel the sun on her skin despite how hot she was initially. She was led to a truck and shoved in the back of it with 4 men climbing in. Katie was too tired to be afraid, too emotionally drained to care. All she wanted to do was sleep and hope that when she woke up, Jonathan would be lying next to her. He would tell her that it was all a bad dream and that she was safe with him, that he loved her. The brunette wanted to cry, but her head hurt so badly and she was too dehydrated to produce any tears. 

Wherever they were taking her, the road was bumpy and she was forced to sit on the floor; not that she cared anyways. The one thing she was extremely thankful for was the fact none of the men in the truck had not touched her. None of them so much as even looked at her but they were there, she assumed, to keep her in check. At least they weren’t doing anything malicious… 

Katie seized up, curling her legs into her chest and clenched her jaw. “Not now.. Please not now.” She said as quietly as she could. This was odd as Katie wasn’t due for her period for another week or two. Perhaps stress induced an early menstrual cycle as she had been through a lot the past however many days had past. 

The truck came to a full stop many hours later and jolted with the driver braking hard. One of the younger men grabbed Katie by her arm as she flew forward. She looked up, frightened at first but saw that this man had a sympathetic look in his eyes. If he could speak to her, he would but he did not know any English. This man hated what he did for a living, serving a sex traffic ring, but it was to put food on the table for his family as he lived in poverty. The kind stranger helped Katie stand and gave her a gentle, subtle pat on her back. He leaned over, whispering something in her ear despite the language barrier, “Yuàn xīngxīng bāngzhù nín zǒuxiàng hépíng.” 

Katie shook her head, not understanding a word of what he had just said. All she could do was offer a nod of thank you and a small, sad smile. The expression she gave to the man was returned in kind and he gave her a nod of farewell, wishing only the best. If she could get out alive, he prayed for his ancestors to help her travel safely.

The building that she was taken to was a concrete, abandoned military base. A blast of cold, yet clammy air hit Katie’s sweat laden skin. She welcomed the coolness, but could do without how damp it was in here. Once she was taken to the place where she would temporarily stay, her bindings were cut and she was promptly shoved into this cage. She walked over to the bars, holding onto them and watching as the men who took her here walked out. Katie had thought about picking the lock on the cage, but what would she have to pick it with? The employees here made sure the floors were kept clean and that no prisoner was hiding anything when given their one meal a day. 

“Ποιος είσαι?” A young accented voice spoke in a language unfamiliar to Katie. 

She turned around and her eyes widened upon seeing a young child with long, shaggy blonde hair. “I-I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” She shook her head and sat down to show the child she wasn’t going to hurt them. “Do you speak any English?” She asked slowly, wincing as another wave of cramps passed over her. 

The child half nodded and shook their head, getting up slowly and walking closer to Katie, curious but cautious. The light above them gave Katie a better look. The child appeared to be a young boy with beautiful amber eyes- 

“Nikolai…” Katie’s breath left her and a soft smile broke out onto her face. “You’re Nikolai, yes?” 

The boy nodded and looked at her with suspicion, “How you know my name?” He tried his best to speak, his accent thick. 

“Your mother sent me and my… My friend to look for you. She is very worried about you.” Katie felt a little better knowing that she had found Nikolai. “I will not hurt you. I am a friend. I am Katie.” She placed her hand on her chest and gave a small smile. 

Nikolai’s eyes widened and tears began to brim his eyes, along with a smile. “Mama? She send me angel to help…” He sniffled, wiping his eyes on his dirty and tattered shirt. Seeing that Katie was someone he could trust, he walked over to her and pulled her hand. “Follow.” 

The brunette obliged, getting up and walking over to where Nikolai had previously been sitting and took a seat next to him. Upon closer inspection, she noticed all the scars littering his hands and her heart broke. 

“My uncle. He hit me bad. He use whips and sharp knives.” He could tell she noticed his scarring. “My uncle hates me. I do not know why.” He spoke sadly. “Long ago he take me from mama. Father do not care for me too. Mama only cares. I want to paint with mama again. I want mama.” His shoulders stiffened up and he began to sob. 

Cautiously, Katie placed her hand on Nikolai’s shoulder and was caught off guard by the boy hugging her tightly. She wrapped her arms around the skinny boy and gently rubbed his back as he cried on her shoulder. “I’m gonna get you out of here somehow. Both of us.” 

\-----------------

“Kate… Kate no- Please, don’t take her.” Jonathan tossed and turned, his skin shining in a light layer of sweat. “Give her back. Please. I can’t live without her!” Blue eyes shot wide open and Pine took a large gasp of air, sitting up abruptly but immediately regretting so. “Fuck!” He hissed as pain shot through his chest. 

Several nurses came rushing into his room, helping him settle back down. “Mr. Pine you cannot be thrashing about like that!” A british voice spoke. 

British- Panic settled in and Jonathan looked at the nurse who was trying to calm him down. “A-Am I back in England!?” His voice cracked and much to his horror, the nurse nodded. 

“It’s been about two weeks since you were brought to us. You had your phone on ya and Mrs. Burr brought ya here, that she did. I believe she tracked you down.” The nurse explained. “You were in a bit of a daze, you were. Only waking up to eat and do your business but we had t’help ya.” She gave him a worried look. “You kept screamin’ the name Kate for the first four nights you got here.” 

His heart sank. Tears began to slide down his cheeks as he knew she had been taken, Daniel had won. “This is all my fault.” He grit his teeth, cursing himself for falling in love and putting Katie in constant danger. This was a price of love that he had to pay. 

“You were a lucky one when you got here. Only one room left after all the shite that’s been going on. Bombings everywhere and not just restricted to London now. Some organization called Root-” 

“Get out.” Pine snapped, anger flaring up. He didn’t need to hear anymore as he knew what was happening. “Unless you have to give me some sort of medication or call Angela Burr, get out.” his voice lowered. 

The nurses made a swift exit, apologizing and noting to contact Angela as soon as they could. 

How many people had died because Jonathan was foolish not to provide information to Angela or the higher ups? How many deaths would be on his conscience? Would Katie be amongst them? No, he didn’t want to think about that at all. Pine began to sob, “I’m so sorry Cameron… I’m so sorry.” 

\----------------------------------

Around three days had passed since Katie was dropped off at the holding compound. During this time, she had tried to make the best out of her situation by keeping Nikolai company. There was nothing to do but try to learn from each other. He would teach her some Greek and she would teach him more English. Katie even managed to crack a smile from the young boy when she taught him a tongue twister. His laugh was infectious and almost made her forget about her oddly late period… No, she couldn’t be pregnant. It was just stress. 

“Your favorite animal is a fox?” Nikolai rocked side to side while sitting criss cross. “I teach you how to say fox!” He smiled. “Alepoú is how you say fox. My favorite animal is um…” He thought for a moment, “It is a bear! They are big and cute but mean when they have to. Mama likes Lions.” 

Katie smiled at Nikolai, “Bears are very cute! I like how fluffy they are. Lions are also wonderful. Your mother reminds me much of one because she loves you so much. Lionesses will do anything to protect their young.” 

The boy giggled and nodded, “She is a lion because she can be scary too! Sometimes, I eat too many cookies and she get very mad. She tell me; Niko!! Θα είστε πιο παχιά από τον Άγιο Βασίλη εάν συνεχίζετε να τρώτε μπισκότα!!” He mocked his mother in a loving tone. “She tell me I will be fatter than Santa Claus!” He laughs again. The boy’s laughter stops short as the large, metal door swings open. He immediately dives into Katie’s arms, hiding his face in her chest as a physician walks in. 

Papers ruffle and the physician clicks his tongue, looking directly at Katie. “Your blood and urine samples from yesterday have proven to be very concerning.” 

Katie held Nikolai close to her and scrunched her brows together, “What do you mean?” She had a feeling that she already knew what he meant. The brunette did her best to contain her tears and shock, closing her eyes. She failed to hold back her tears, hoping that the Physician says something other than what she dreaded to hear. 

“You’re pregnant. Were you trying to conceive before capture? Piss poor planning and unfair if you ask me.” The Physician shrugged. 

“No!! I wasn’t even trying!! I-I… I can’t be. It was a safe day.” More tears fell down her cheeks and she looked up at the man, “I can’t.” 

“You are. The tests don’t lie, Miss O’Connor. This is your fault and now you have to live with your decision of whoring around.” The Physician tapped the clipboard with his pen before walking out and slamming the door shut. 

Nikolai slowly raised his head from Katie’s chest and reached up, wiping her tears. “You are having a baby?” He asked innocently. 

Taking a shaky breath in, Katie nodded. She tried to control her sobs, but they just kept coming out harder and harder. She could always try to miscarry somehow, but her brain wouldn’t allow those thoughts to even pass. This was Jonathan Pine’s child growing inside of her and he would never know as they were miles apart. 

“Is it bad you are having a baby? You seem sad.” Nikolai was still curious. He was taught that expecting a baby was a joyous occasion, no matter what; so long as the woman wills it. 

In retrospect, it was bad to be having a baby while working as a spy of sorts. There were so many dangers that could befall Katie and her unborn child. She believed in a woman’s right to her own body, but she herself couldn’t bear the thought of aborting it despite the circumstances. If it had somehow been Travis’s she wouldn’t have hesitated due to her past with him. However, this was Jonathan’s and she loved him with every fiber of her being. If this was the last piece of him that she would ever have, then she would do everything she could to protect her child. “No. I’m scared.” Katie finally calmed down enough, wiping her tears. “I’ve never had a baby before, until now.” She felt Nikolai hug her tightly and she returned the hug. 

“I have a idea.” The blonde boy let go and looked at her, pressing his smaller hand on her flat stomach. “If it is a boy you should name it fox! If it is a girl you should name it-” He stopped as the door opened again, but this time he did not hide. Nikolai removed his hand from Katie’s stomach and stood up. “M-Mama.” 

There, Abbadon stood, a sad smile on her face. “My Niko. My baby boy.” She wept as she limped over to the cage, wheezing. “My baby.” She struggled to stand up. Her dull, amber eyes sparked with a little life upon seeing Katie in the confinement too. “My Katelyn, my only friend. Thank you for trying. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me for what I have done to you and Pine.” 

Katie stood up, walking over to the bars and grabbing Abbadon’s hand. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “I do. None of this is your fault, Abbey. You did what you had to do.” 

“Mama! Ο άγγελος που στείλατε ήταν τόσο ευγενικός σε μένα και δίνει υπέροχες αγκαλιές! Μου έχει διδάξει και περισσότερα Αγγλικά.” Nikolai smiled brightly, holding his mother’s hand and crying of joy after not seeing his mother for nearly a year. 

Abbadon chuckled and reached through the bars, her arm covered in bruises as the sleeve of her top shifted. She cupped her son’s face and smiled at him, “He told me that you are an angel and a most kind one at that.” The auburn haired woman spoke softly to Katie. “I believe he is most definitely right about you being an angel.” Tears brimmed her honey brown eyes. “You have done more for me than you can imagine, Katelyn.” 

Guards walked by, unlocking the cell and yanking Nikolai out. The boy immediately hugged his mother tightly and began to cry a little louder. 

Abbadon’s eyes widened as she felt a searing pain suddenly pass through her chest. Another followed in short and her eyes landed on Daniel. “You promised… You promised me-” She said, blood dripping from her mouth. 

“I never promised anything, traitor.” Daniel blew the smoke from his pistol, walking into the room. “Your name will never be remembered and neither will that abomination of a child.” He fired several more rounds into Abbadon and his nephew, his eyes showing no remorse or hesitation. There was only hatred. 

Katie watched as Abbadon and Nikolai fell to the ground, lifeless. Her eyes would not leave them as she noticed that Nikolai’s hand was in his mothers, like the painting she had done. “No… NOOO!! YOU EVIL SON OF A BITCH!!” Katie screamed at Daniel. “HOW COULD YOU KILL YOUR OWN SISTER!? YOUR NEPHEW- A CH-CHILD!? YOU SICK BASTARD!!” Her body shook with rage, now feeling a new sense of fury as an expectant mother herself. Katie’s heart was broken, she wanted to save them and get them out so they could live the life they deserved. 

Daniel put his gun aside and stormed over to Katie, grabbing her by her throat and digging his fingers into her neck. “You have no right to question me, wife. You belong at my feet. Perhaps a little reinforcement will teach you a lesson-” 

“NO!!” She shrieked, pushing him away and shaking her head. “Please don’t hurt me. Please.” Her arms wrapped around her waist, the thought of losing her baby terrifying her. 

The leader pushed his sleeves up, grabbing her wrist. 

“Please d-don’t!! I’m pregnant!!” She screamed, shaking under Daniel’s grip. 

“You’re what?” Daniel released her arm, shoving her back. 

“I’m pregnant. P-Please don’t hurt me. Please.” She sank to the floor, holding herself tightly and sobbing. 

Daniel scoffed, stroking his beard and then grinning. “Stand up. Do it now or I  _ will  _ hurt you.” He mocked her. “Record this on your phone.” He snapped his fingers at one of the guards. 

Katie quickly stood up, her arms still shielding her stomach. She whimpered at Daniel’s grip around her arms and trembled hard. 

The guard nodded to Daniel as a sign the phone was recording. “I told you, Pine. I always get what I want and here I have my rose. She lacks her beauty right now as she is not in the best of shape.” He runs the back of his hand down Katie’s face. “However, I am not yet satisfied. I want you and your little agency to stop all interference with Root.” 

\-------------------

Jonathan stared in horror at the video message that was sent to Angela’s e-mail. His heart broke at the sight of Katie standing there practically naked and frightened. 

“ _ Once that has been done, I will have my men send you a special little pill of cyanide-” Daniel jerked Katie in the video as she reacted badly to that. “I do not need anymore of you in this world and should you disobey me… My rose, tell your dead lover what you told me before I tried to hit you.” He grabs her jaw and forces her to look up at the camera.  _

_ Tears rolled down her dirty face and she gulped hard. “I-I said… Please don’t hurt me… B-Because I’m pregnant. _ ” 

That was all Jonathan needed to hear before slamming the laptop shut and grabbing his short hair. “DAMN IT!!” He slammed his fist against the wall behind him. 

Angela could only watch as Pine broke down in tears, practically collapsing to the floor. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry-” 

“IF YOU WERE SORRY YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER CALLED HER AGENCY IN THE FIRST PLACE!! IF YOU WERE SORRY SHE WOULD HAVE NEVER CAME HERE OR MET ME AND NEARLY DIE!!” Jonathan sobbed hard, “If I didn’t fall in love with her- If I hadn’t been so foolish and insisted on protection-” He grabbed the trash can beside Angela’s desk, throwing up from anxiety and a plethora of other problems. 

The director walked over, kneeling beside him and cautiously placing a hand on his back. “We all make mistakes and we learn from them. I am truly sorry, Jonathan. If I may speak freely, I hadn’t anyone else to turn to and she was exactly what I needed. I just didn’t anticipate the entire mission turning out like this cluster fuck.” She paused, thinking about her next words. “We will get her back. I will not let another incident like Sophie ever happen again, but we need a plan of action.” 

Pine coughed hard, wiping his mouth and shoving the waste bin away from himself. “One that involves me putting a bullet into Daniel’s skull.” He growls. “I will never let him lay another finger on anyone so long as I draw breath. He won’t be able to because I’ll be the one to make sure he is hundreds of feet beneath the ground.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuàn xīngxīng bāngzhù nín zǒuxiàng hépíng. - may the stars guide you to peace 
> 
> Ποιος είσαι - who are you?


	24. Belladonna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel shows how ruthless he can truly be

After the harrowing ordeal of what transpired back in China, Katie was taken back to Russia. Her very first day she was forced to marry Daniel and now had a ring on her finger. Naturally, she cried but they were not tears of happiness. While she was dressed to the nines and the dress she was put in was indeed beautiful, she could only feel sorrow. The house that Daniel lived in was one of elegance and rumored to be once occupied by the Czar. That was something Katie could believe as the palace-like structure was hidden away in the mountains. The interior had all sorts of religious paintings ranging from Angel's to cherubs to the disciples. It looked like a building from the 19th-20th century. 

Some of Daniel's other wives resided in this location as well, but they were told not to interact with Katie. Only one of the wives, Nthanda from Africa, seemed eager to break that rule. The other wives that resided there were Malee from Thailand, Tahirah from Egypt, and Sabine from Germany. They were all conditioned to obey under fear as Daniel had been extremely cruel. Even speaking out of turn was rumored to earn one a beating. 

Katie stared out the window of hers and Daniel's shared bedroom. She was his latest obsession and would be forced to share a bed with him. There were plenty of supervised things to do around here, but all Katie wanted to do was stare out of the window. Her hand gently rested upon her now slightly raised belly as a month had passed. She had to make a deal with Daniel and give her child up for adoption if she did not want anything to happen to them. The leader of Belladonna warned he had no issue with accidents. 

The door creaked open and Katie flinched, heart pounding and expecting it to be Daniel. "Please, let me rest. I can't do it right now." Katie begged, assuming her husband wanted to rape her again. 

"It is not him. Only me." An accented voice called softly. Nthanda's head poked into the room and she slipped inside. "I have come to talk." 

Katie blinked a few times, sighing out of relief that it wasn't him. "About? I don't mean to be rude, but I don't want to be the reason for you getting hurt." 

Nthanda closed the door as quietly as she could and tip toed over to Katie. "I do not care about what happens to me. I want to be your friend. None of the other girls will do that and have even shunned me." She gave Katie a sad smile. "You seem different from the others." She gently took Katie's hand in hers. 

Their skin tones drastically opposed each other with Katie being a pale ivory and Nthanda having dark skin. The brunette found it rather beautiful and smiled softly at Nthanda. "I would love to be your friend. You are the only person who has shown me kindness so far." A tear slipped down her cheek. 

The African woman gave Katie's hand a squeeze and then released it. She fumbled in her coat pocket and pulled out some cookies. "Here. I thought we could perhaps share these while we get to know each other better. You are most welcome. In my village, we would welcome anyone of any kind. My mother always taught me that generosity goes a long way." Nthanda sat down on the ground, taking a bite of a cookie. "Do not worry, I have Daniel's route timed and we should have a good hour or two today before he comes back." 

During those two hours, Katie and Nthanda spoke of where they came from and what their lives were like growing up. Hearing Nthanda's story of wanting to become an English teacher,and the struggles she went through to get there warmed Katie's heart. She found out that not too long after she became one, Daniel and his men snatched her in the middle of the night. Apparently, he had seen her in the city and even spoke with her briefly before deciding he would have her. Katie explained her situation and was hesitant to tell her new friend about Abbadon and her pregnancy. 

Nthanda's beautiful, large brown eyes widened and she placed her hand on Katie's stomach. "What a lovely blessing God has given you! I mean, it is a blessing in my eyes since the child's father is the man you love. I hope we can all escape this hell, none of us deserve it. Even if the other girls are colder to us, they did nothing to deserve this fate." She removed her hand and got up, making sure she didn't leave too much evidence behind. Nthanda took Katie's hand, helping her up before giving her a large hug. "It has been such a pleasure to make a beautiful friend like you." She looked into the american woman's green eyes. 

"Thank you, Nthanda. I appreciate your kindness more than you know. I look forward to our next visit." She saw her new friend out before quietly shutting the door. Katie walked back over to the window seat and resumed her place, staring out the window. She was truly grateful for Nthanda wanting to reach out to her. However, she still couldn't shake the sadness off. 

"Is this what you do all day? Stare out the damn window?" Daniel had entered their room quietly, causing Katie to flinch. 

The brunette woman shook her head and felt fear creep up her spine. "N-No, I don't. I read." She places her hand gently upon a novel she had found. The book was about a misunderstood and misguided prince from another world. He conquered earth and sought to rule it, but fell in love with a mortal woman. 

"You should be doing neither of those. You stupid girl." Daniel growled, loosening his tie. He snapped his fingers at her and pointed to the bed. 

Taking a deep breath, Katie stood from her seat and stripped herself of her clothing. She had actually been given clothes she never would have been able to afford since her arrival. With hesitant steps, she walks to the bed and lays there while completely naked. She closes her green eyes and holds back a whimper as Daniel begins his normal routine of violating Katie. All she could do to hold on was think about Jonathan and be wrapped in his arms; where she truly felt at home. 

\------------------- 

Several hours passed by and the sky had become dark. Katie had ended up on the floor, holding the sheets to her bare body. A bruise was beginning to form on her cheek from Daniel hitting her as he raped her. The brunette wept softly, clutching the sheet and leaning against the wall next to the bed. Her hand rested upon her tiny bump as she cried, thankful that Daniel didn't hurt her baby. She gasped loudly as the doors opened, her grip on the sheet tightening. 

"Oh dear, what have I stumbled upon here?" Richard walked in, shutting the door behind him. He placed his hands in his pockets and raised his eyebrows, looking around. "I think I am lost! The place is so bloody huge it's easy to become disoriented…" he stops as he can see Katie shaking and curled in a ball. "Oh come now, I'm not here to hurt you." 

"Then you weren't truly lost. You knew where to find me, I'm not stupid." Katie sniffled and exhaled shakily. "What do you want?" 

Roper walked towards her direction, pulling a chair out from the lounge area in the bedroom and sitting across from Katie. He rolled his eyes as he saw her flinch again. "Daniel is stupid letting people come and go in here as they please." He muttered before turning his attention back to the frightened woman. "I don't  _ want _ anything from you, dear. However, without having Pine here to torment, I've grown bored." He leans back and folds his hands over his lap. 

Katie narrowed her eyes and stopped her tears momentarily. "Stop bullshitting around and tell me  _ why _ you are here. You came to me for a reason." 

"That I did. I can see you're not one for games seeing as old Jonny boy played one too many on you." He noticed her shift uncomfortably and smirked. Roper reached into his coat pocket and pulled his phone out, dialing a number. "I am bored and want to drag my own game out a little longer… Like I said, Daniel is a bloody moron." He pressed the call button and handed his phone to Katie. 

With shaky hands, the girl hesitantly took the phone and put it up to her ear. Katie stared at Roper, watching him for any sudden movements. A loud sigh answered the call. 

"Roper, I thought I-" she heard Jonathan begin. 

"Jonathan!!" A smile spread across her face, happy tears sliding down her cheeks. "Jonathan it's me! It's not a trick, no." 

\--------------- 

"Kate." Jonathan covered his mouth, tears stinging his eyes and a sob building up in his chest. "Are you ok? Is he at least letting you eat?" Pine waited hesitantly for her answer. He listened as she told him that she was forced to marry him but that she had found a friend in one of his other wives. Katie was indeed being fed, bathing, and dressed in normal clothes. "Do you know where you are?" Jonathan leaned against the wall in his flat and began to chew his nails. "Russia again, huh? Make sure to threaten Roper into letting us track his signal." Pine smiled at the scoff he heard in the back from Richard. He bit his lip and sighed, "I am going to get you back. I promise you…" he paused and gulped, a curiosity eating him alive. "Is… Is it mine? The b-baby." He clarified. His heart felt like it was going to explode when she confirmed that it was his. She had taken a plan B after Travis had done all those awful things to her. There wasn't any way it couldn't be Jonathan's. He rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm going to be a dad…" the realization still hit him like a freight train, but it was all the more reason to get her back. 

"Sorry, chap." Richard's voice replaced Katie's. 

"Roper  _ please _ . Let me track where you are so I can come get her." Jonathan begged him, now pacing. "Just one more time. Please." He sounded weak and lost. "I love her so much. I need her." 

\------------------ 

Roper thought for a moment of how letting Jonathan track his location would benefit his little game. "Fine. This is the last favor I'll ever do." He hung up and slid his phone back in his pocket. 

Katie's smile had disappeared and she looked to the floor. Her sad gaze taking residence on her pretty face. 

"This is probably a horrible time to say this, but congrats mum. I guess that shag in Korea turned out to be more exciting than either of you presumed." He grinned as he saw her shoot him a dirty glare. "Come now, lass. I let you have your time with your "baby daddy" and I am letting him come to get you. You should consider yourself lucky." Roper stood from his seat and placed the chair back in its original position. "Good luck." He grinned before exiting out the door. 

Katie covered her mouth, tears falling again as her heart ached to be with Jonathan. Slowly, she stood up and let the blanket fall as she trekked to the giant bathroom. Katie took her gaudy wedding ring off, not wanting to put it back on ever again. She filled the giant bathtub with hot water and quickly got in as she wanted to rid her body of Daniel. Her hand traveled down to her belly again and she gently rubbed the barely noticeable bump. "Your father is coming to get us, sweetheart. We will be safe with him. I'm sure he will love you just as much as I do." She spoke to the baby growing inside of her. Katie never thought she would be a mother and didn't even know if she wanted to be one. It was too late for that now, but she couldn't ask for a better man to be the father. She wouldn't let Daniel take her child away from her. "I'll protect you, I promise." 

\-------------------- 

"Roper gave you coordinates?" Angela folded her arms over her chest and eyed Jonathan with suspicion. "I don't like the sound of that, not one bit. It sounds like some sort of trap and you're walking right into it." She sighed. 

"Please, Angela I  _ have _ to go alone. We don't have any other choice! Who knows what Daniel is doing to her right now. I won't let her suffer there a moment longer." He paused and pursed his lips. "Not when she's pregnant." 

Over to the side of the room, Rob spit out his coffee loudly and looked at Jonathan, bewildered. "Beg pardon? She's what?!" 

Angela glanced over to Rob and nodded to the mess he made, "Sorry you're out of the loop. Better clear that up before it stains." 

Jonathan shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to waste another moment and looked at Angela. "If you send others in there, they will wind up dead. I am the only one who can do this. I will have to skip incarcerating Daniel for the time being so we can get Kate home." 

"Fine. Pack your things-" Angela began to speak but then frowned, rushing over to the window. "Christ!! Come here you two!! Get a look at this!" 

Rob and Pine rushed over to the window, seeing billowing black clouds of smoke too close for comfort. 

Sensing something wrong, Angela backed up and grabbed her bag and computer. "We need to leave now. COME ON!!" She swung the door open, ushering the two men out. Just as she did so, a bullet shattered the glass of the window and missed Jonathan by inches. "Change of plans, Pine. You're gonna have to wait a bit before you go-" 

"ANGELA!!" Jonathan stopped midway down the stairs. "I won't wait any longer! She needs me!!" He shouted. 

The director rolled her eyes and pulled the love sick man down the stairs and to the emergency exit. "Not when you've got hitmen after your head!! We need to take care of that problem first. Not only is it putting  _ you _ in danger, but it is putting Rob and I in danger too." She shook her head and yanked Jonathan's hood up as they got outside. "Don't think I'm not worried about Katie. I am terrified for the poor woman. I want nothing more than to bring her back, but we have local issues first and until that is taken care of… She will have to wait for us." 

Pine hated this. He absolutely abhorred the fact Katie would have to wait longer. But since he did have people after him, he had to find a way to safely get that situation taken care of. "Fine, but as soon as I am in the clear I am going to get Kate. I will not have her wait for me any longer than she has to." 

\--------------------- 

Daniel sat in front of the fireplace in the giant lounge room, staring into the flames. While he was sexually satisfied for now, there was just one other itch he had to scratch. This thought had been lingering in the back of his mind for quite some time now. There was a loud knocking at the door, taking him out of his thoughts. "Come in." 

Roper closed the door shut behind him and walked over to Daniel, taking a seat opposite him. "You wanted to talk?" Richard spoke, unamused. 

"Yes and no." The crime lord answered, standing up. "Come. Walk with me in the gardens, I have important news to discuss with you." He waved his hand and led the way. The walk to the gardens was eerily silent, neither men attempting to even try small talk. "You see these flowers?" He gently touches a dead plant. "Nightshade they are called. Rather beautiful, but also a flower that symbolizes… deception." Daniel placed his hands behind his back, narrowing his eyes. 

Roper scoffed, "Have we come to have a needless discussion about plants? Or do you have something else you'd like to tell me?" He reached into his suit coat pocket. 

"Go ahead and pull out the gun, Roper. I know what you've been trying to do." Daniel raised his thick eyebrows. He watched as Richard did so and smiled, "Now, before you try to kill me I'd like to have my final speech first. I knew what I was getting into the moment I had you back in the spotlight. I  _ knew _ that you were up to something because you were very adamant to form an alliance with me…" he took a step forward, holding one hand up as he was not done. "This is my home, Roper. I can prolong my inevitable death for as long as I please. Do you see those men, up on the roof?" He nodded to the snipers. "The minute you pull the trigger, they too will fire on you without hesitation." 

Richard smirked and adjusted his grip on his gun. "Smart man, leading me out here under suspicion. I knew that my little game wouldn't last too much longer. Here I thought you were just an angry man child, but it seems you do have some intelligence beneath that thick skull of yours." He aimed his gun. "Now are you going to finish your villain monologue or what? You should know I also have back up. The guards walking around in the gardens are not yours." 

Daniel nodded and stepped closer to Roper. "You should know that we  _ never _ form alliances. That was my first clue that you had something else planned. My second clue was my now dead sister's hesitation to answer my questions about you. Thirdly… The cell phone signal we got from my room just an hour ago." He placed a hand on Roper's shoulder and gave a fake smile, "You will do well in the underworld." 

Before Roper could do anything, he felt a searing pain in his abdomen followed by 3 more stings. He dropped his gun, looking down with wide eyes as blood began to stain his clothes. Daniel had stabbed him.

"The era of Richard Roper ends by my hand. See you in hell." Daniel stabbed the man once more before shoving him to the ground and watching him bleed out. The leader of Belladonna watched the life leave Roper's eyes and smiled wickedly. He glanced up and saw Katie watching from the window, a hand over her mouth and running away from it as soon as she made eye contact. Daniel growled, ordering his men to kill Ropers and get the corpses out as he stomped towards the castle. 

\----------- 

Katie slid down the wall, a hand over her chest and fear coursing through her body. She just witnessed Daniel murder Roper. "Jonathan please hurry." She cried softly, pulling her knees to her chest and praying that her beloved would come soon. 


	25. Chrysanthemum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loss 
> 
> !!THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME GORY SCENES AND A MISCARRIAGE, PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!

The next three months had Katie on edge as she waited for Jonathan. It was December at this time and she was four months along in her pregnancy. The signs of showing were obvious now and she started dressing in more maternal clothing. Over the course of the three months, Daniel had become increasingly violent and unpredictable. He almost caused Katie to miscarry at one point because of his seething rage. On top of that, security had been increased and around late October, Nthanda was sent away to another location after Daniel found out she and Katie were secretly meeting up. The two women were devastated by this move and didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. Katie prayed that Nthanda wouldn't be hurt and that hopefully she would escape. Here she was now, staring out the window and watching the snowfall. 

"How many times have I told you to stop staring out that damn window!?" Daniel yanked Katie by her arm and squeezed it. 

"Stop!! Daniel stop!! You're hurting me!!" She began to panic, trying to shove him off of her. "STOP!!" she screamed as the pain of his grip became worse. "I-I'll stop looking out the window!! Please stop!!" Katie pulled back, rubbing her arm and tears stinging her eyes. 

"There will be no freedom for you, little mouse." He grinned. "You are not to stay in any room with windows during the day. Instead, I will have you be my good little wife and fuck me-" his hand tried to bunch up the skirt of her dress. 

Katie smacked him across the face, shaking and instantly regretting it. She made a small choking noise as she felt Daniel's hand wrap around her throat tightly. Her eyes widened as she saw him pull out his switchblade and gently drag it over her belly. Katie shook her head as best as she could, eyes pleading him not to hurt her baby. 

"I think you forget who is in charge here, little mouse." He pressed the blade harder to the swell of her stomach. "Give me a good reason why I should not cut you open where you stand. I have allowed you to carry another man's child thus far. You should be more grateful-" 

"SIR!!" A guard slammed the door to their bedroom open, panting. 

Daniel removed his hand from Katie's throat and put his blade back. "What unimportant business could you have to interrupt my time with my wife?" He growled, following the guard out as he said something about a break in. 

The brunette grabbed one of the chairs in their room and sat down in it, trying to catch her breath. Her hand cradled her small bump and she began to cry hard. Katie was beginning to think that Jonathan wasn't coming for her after all. She covered her face in her hands and sobbed, knowing she couldn't get out of this. There were several occasions where she did try and found some secret passages; but her efforts were futile.

After around ten more minutes, Katie sniffled, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her dress. She didn't want to dirty this dress too much as it was rather cute. It was a casual two tone maternity dress. She stood up, wanting to have one last look outside before she was forbidden to do so. Placing her hand on the glass, she watched as the snow continued to cover the grounds of the gardens. Her lower lip quivered as she began to cry again. She wasn't allowed to do anything but sit quietly and wait for Daniel to return everyday. Katie walks away from the window, not before shutting the curtains to all 4 windows, and resuming her place back in the chair. She stared at the markings on the wood floor, continuing to cry softly. Katie jumped at the sound of heavy footsteps outside of the room and sat up straight. Her eyes were kept to the ground as she awaited Daniel to enter. However, the sound of gunfire caused her to get up and run to the side of the bed. What in the hell was going on? The door creaked open slowly once the gunfire stopped. 

The footsteps grew louder as they entered the room, floorboards creaking under the weight of the stranger. Katie backed up into the side of the bed as far as she could, covering her mouth. Her eyes shut tightly and her body wracked with fear. The footsteps became cautious as they approached the giant bed. What could this intruder want? Katie froze as she heard the footsteps grow even louder. She couldn't defend herself like she used to as it would put more strain on her body, and potentially harm the baby. A bead of sweat rolled down Katie's face as she sat there in complete terror. Her eyes became wide as a masked figure turned sharply around the corner and grabbed her arm. "NO!! NO!! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!!" She sobbed, trying to pry the stranger's hand off of her arm. 

"Unless you want to hurt yourself instead, I suggest you cooperate." A thick russian accent spoke from under the mask. The stranger pulled Katie up, pointing their gun to her. "Move it. Keep going until we reach the cellar." They poked the tip of the barrel against her back. 

Flinching, Katie nodded and did as she was told. She cried silently as she hastily walked to the cellar. Upon her arrival, she noticed the two other wives were tied up and gagged. 

"Get on the ground. Daniel is being held in a different room for interrogation. We have unfinished business with him." The man spoke, shoving Katie to the ground and tying her arms behind her back. 

Malee, one of the wives, began to struggle against her restraints. She was attempting to say something. 

The masked man sighed and stomped over to the wives, ripping her gag down. 

"You cannot hurt her like that or put her under pressure! She is with child!!" Malee looked from Katie to the masked man. "All of this stress could put her into premature labor!!" 

Katie looked at Malee with large, tear filled eyes. It seems that the wives did care about her well being, they just couldn't show it out of fear of Daniel. 

"Let us tend to her. You can send as many of your goons down here as you wish to watch us." Malee glared and clenched her jaw. 

Sabine and Tahirah nodded in agreement, looking at Katie with worry. 

Without hesitation, the masked man cut the restraints. "I will send five men down. Do not make me regret this." He then walked over to Katie and removed hers too. "I will be back within ten minutes." He walked up the creaking stairs. True to his word, five men walked down and stared at the women. 

The three wives headed over to Katie, assessing her mental status to make sure she was alright. 

"I-I'm ok." Katie swallowed, her arms wrapped around herself. Tears continued to trail down her cheeks. She appreciated the wives rubbing her back and doing their best to comfort her. 

"I am sorry we did not reach out to you like Nthanda did." Tahirah apologized, placing a hand on the young expecting mother's shoulder. 

"Daniel would have beaten us, and then you." Sabine added. "We did not want to risk you or your baby's lives." 

The american woman nodded, giving a soft smile and thanking them all. "This baby wasn't even planned. I had to accept it the minute I found out… I can't say I'm upset. The father of my child is such a wonderful man." Katie smiled fondly down at her belly, relaxing her arms to cradle her small bump. "He's so kind, considerate, funny, the most handsome man I've ever met.." her fingers caressed her stomach. "I couldn't ask for a better person to have this baby with." 

Talking about her love for Pine calmed Katie down significantly. However, it also made her sad as she couldn't be with him right now- in his arms. She missed Jonathan more than anything. The next ten minutes were spent talking about Katie, Pine and their baby. 

"I was thinking if it's a girl we will name her Sophia. If it's a boy, I really like the name Kit-" The young mother looked up as heavy footsteps thundered down the stairs. She felt the wives surround her in a protective formation. 

"Give me the American." The masked man waved his hand. "Do it now or we shoot." He warned. 

Katie stood up, shaking her head at the other three women. "I'll be o-okay." She lied, not knowing what would happen. Taking a deep breath, she gently pushed Malee aside and walked over to the masked man who promptly grabbed her by the arm. 

"You will come with me quietly." He ordered. 

"Then you let the others free." Katie spoke quickly, her anger flaring up. "I will go with you if you let the women free. If you are here to somehow help us, then get them out. Daniel is a sick man and I know you're not here to be friends with him. Please… Let them go." 

The room became quiet for a moment. Katie continued to look into the unidentifiable mask of the man holding her. The masked man turned to his men, giving a nod. 

With the signal given, the men walked over, grabbing the wives and filing them out one by one. Katie prayed that the man would keep to his promise. "Thank you." She sighed, some relief washing over her. 

The man said nothing, only shoving her upstairs like the rest and taking her to a different hallway. "Arkady!" The masked man called, whistling over yet another masked man. "Take this one to  _ him _ and make the bargain." He shoved Katie at Arkady. 

"Understood." Arkady nodded, taking Katie by the arm and leading her toward the front of the manor. He pulled her over into an unoccupied room before closing the door. 

Katie stood in the middle, holding herself and shaking hard. "Please don't hurt me." She whispered as Arkady came closer. 

The Russian man grabbed Katie's arm again and held her in place as two others came in with Daniel in restraints. 

"What is all of this shit? You break into my home and terrorize me? What do you want?" Daniel spat, snarling like a rabid dog. 

"We have come to make a deal." Arkady spoke loud and clear, releasing his grip on Katie. "Let the girl go and you live. You are free to do as you please." 

Daniel froze, a grin cracking across his face. "You really think I'm going to give up my favorite whore that easy? Just who do you think I am? You caused all of this ruckus just for a whore? Pathetic. Here I thought that maybe you would want to stop my little plan I have. The one involving innocent lives being lost? All because you had to interfere? Mmm you are not so slick,  _ Pine. _ " 

Katie turned to Arkady and looked at him with wide eyes. They sparkled in the sunlight filtering through the window. "Jonathan?" She whispered breathlessly. 

"No. I am Arkady Vadislav, I know nothing of this Jonathan or Pine you speak of." He pulled his helmet off. 

Much to Katie's disappointment, the man was indeed not Jonathan. His hair was black and jawline not as sharp. 

"He put you up to this then. There is only one person I know who wants my little rose more than anything. For that-" Daniel smirked, twisting his arms out of the two holding him. He pulled out a hunting knife he kept on him and slashed one of the men's throat while stabbing the other in the abdomen. "I'm going to do what I promised. He did not do as I say so it is thousands of lives, for his." He pulled his phone out and held it to his ear. 

"STOP!! DANIEL STOP IT!!" Katie screamed, now realizing what he was doing. "DANIEL!!" She started to tremble hard, yanking herself from Arkady. She tried to grab the phone from Daniel but was punched across the face and fell to the floor. 

"DON'T TOUCH HER!!" Daniel growled at Arkady, throwing his knife aside and pulling his gun out; shooting him point blank in the head. He reached down, grabbing Katie's wrist hard as he continued to be on his call. "You, my dear, will suffer for your actions! When I am finished with this call, that abomination in your womb will be cut out of you." He smiled wickedly. 

The brunette's jaw fell in horror and she whimpered in fright. She began to squirm, trying to free herself from him until she saw one of the agents crawl toward the knife. To keep Daniel under assumption, she continued to squirm. 

"Yes it's me. Set them off- AARRGGHHHHHHHH!!!" Daniel shrieked loudly, holding the stump of what once was his hand. 

The masked man got up, holding his stomach before scooping Katie up and making a run for it out of the room. Blood soaked his front and stained Katie's dress. 

"St-Stop! You're hurt!!" She pressed her hand to his belly and gasped at her blood covered hand. 

"I am… Fine." The man spoke, trudging on and eventually getting outside. He coughed hard, falling onto the snow covered concrete. 

The wind whipped them both as a storm approached. 

"No you're not." Katie strained her back a little to help the man up. "I'm not letting you die!" She pressed her hand against the wound, applying pressure. 

"Car. There is a car." He gasped, pointing to a blue vehicle only a short distance away. "Please, you will only hurt yourself." He dropped to the ground and chuckled underneath his helmet. 

Katie knelt down, shivering hard but trying to help the man up. "Please. Let me help you." She sobbed, not wanting another person to die by Daniel's hands. "Tell me your name." 

"It is Vadim." He croaked and placed a gloved hand on hers. "You are most kind, but it is too late for me. I know it is. By the time you would get me to a hospital, I will have already died." He wheezed. 

The wind blasted across the terrain, causing Katie to fall back a little from the force. "Vadim-" 

"No. It is too late." His voice began to fade. "I am glad I saved… Two… " his body became limp. 

Katie gasped, covering her mouth with her clean hand and got up to the best of her ability. She shivered violently from the icy winds and trudged on through the snow to the car. A bullet whizzed past her head, causing her to scream and turn around. 

Daniel laughed, holding his tourniquet close to his chest to stop his stump from bleeding out. He licked his lips, firing another shot at Katie. "SUCH A BAD ROSE!!" He shouted, powering through the wind. 

With the storm picking up faster, the car began to get out of sight. Katie ran as best as she could to the vehicle. As soon as her hands touched the frozen metal, she was pinned to the hood. "NO!! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!! PLEASE- AGH!" She was punched across the face. 

Daniel had her pinned underneath him and he breathed hard, pulling out the same knife that cut his hand off. "Pine cut something from me- now I will cut something from him!" He cut Katie's dress down the middle, exposing her top half to the mercy of the storm. He grinned at her screams. "Cry all you want, little rose!! There is no stopping me now!" He began to cut down her belly. 

Katie's back arched and her mouth hung open as pain seared through her body. A blood curdling scream tore through her lungs as she felt the blade sink deeper. "STOP IT!! STOP PLEASE!! PLEASE DANIEL!!" she begged, her heart breaking. "PLEASE DON'T KILL MY BABY-" She stopped as another pain hit her lower half. 

The crime lord stopped as he saw blood running down Katie's legs. He began to laugh as he realized what was happening. "I didn't have to kill it. You did." He watched as Katie fell to the ground, shrieking of intense pain. Another scream followed in suit, but not one of Katie's. Turning around, Daniel was met with the butt of a gun to his face. 

Jonathan flipped the gun around, firing several shots into Daniel before tossing the gun aside and scooping Katie up. Pine was almost certain that the crime lord was dead after putting around six bullets into him. "Hold on, Kate. Hold on!" He opens the back door of the car and sets Katie down on the seats. Pine slams the door shut and hops in, cranking the heat up and slamming on the gas. 

"Jonathan!!" Katie wailed, gasping for breath. Her body was working to force out the stillborn. She screamed bloody murder, weakly reaching down and pushing her panties off to the best of her ability. The wound Daniel had inflicted earlier only added to misery. 

Pine turned around, looking at Katie. He was heart broken. "Hang on. Please. Don't close your eyes!!" He begged, looking at the road and speeding faster. 

Katie let out another scream, her eyes clenched shut as her body continued to work her stillborn out. She dug her nails into the leather of the car seat as she felt the urge to push. 

The smell of blood was overwhelming and made Pine sick to his stomach. He held his nausea at bay until finally reaching a hospital. Kicking the door open, he launched himself out and ripped the door open on Katie's side. He carefully picked her up, not even bothering to close the car doors as he ran for the building. 

_ -Six hours later-  _

"Mr. Starks?" A nurse shook Jonathan's shoulder gently. 

Pine jolted awake and blinked a few times, looking at the nurse. "Is my wife ok?" He asked quickly, slowly standing up. 

The nurse nodded and led him to Katie's room. "We were unable to save the child as it had already died upon arrival." She said regrettably and bowed her head. "Your wife… She… She is not taking the news well. Mrs. Starks is all stitched up and we have cleaned her womb of any remnants of her pregnancy. However, she has been rather inconsolable. Which is understandable. I will come and check up on you in a few minutes." She nodded and opened the door for Jonathan. 

When he entered, he noticed Katie sitting up and touching her now flattened stomach. Any emotion on her face was gone and her eyes were blank. “Kate…” Jonathan whispered her name breathlessly upon seeing her. His heart broke at the state of her being. 

“My baby. Gone.” She muttered softly, not looking at Jonathan. “My baby-” Katie inhaled sharply, covering her face and letting out a gut wrenching cry. Her body shook with her broken sobs. 

Jonathan made his way over to Katie and wrapped his arms around the hysterical girl, squeezing his eyes shut as tears of his own began to form. 

Katie’s arms quickly found their way around Pine, her fingers digging into his back as she continued to sob. “I-I’m so sorry- I killed our baby- I killed-” 

“No you didn’t. None of this is your fault, sweetheart.” Jonathan pulled away, cupping her face and wiping her tears with his thumbs. “Do not blame yourself for what happened.” He pressed a firm kiss to her forehead, holding his own sobs at bay. 

The brunette would not release her grip and even pulled him down onto her bed despite her sutures. 

“Hey, hey take it easy.” Pine’s eyebrows knit together in worry from his heavy weight on her healing body. He adjusted himself and got underneath the blanket, pulling Katie close to him as comfortably as he could. The last thing he wanted was for her to be in any more pain than she already was. 

Katie winced as she spooned to Jonathan’s side, her abdomen extremely sore from the staples and cleaning procedure. She didn’t exactly care at the moment as all she wanted was to be in Jonathan’s arms. The girl had dearly missed how safe she felt in his embrace. She felt like nothing could hurt her at all. 

“You don’t have to worry about him anymore. I took care of him. I’m fairly certain that six bullets is enough to snuff a man out.” Pine sighed, placing another smooch to Katie’s head and rubbing her back. He paused for a moment, thinking about what the hell would come for them next. Jonathan knew that he’d have to break the news to Angela at some point during the day, but he also knew that there was still a large mess to clean up. The riots were still going and Root had followed through with their mission upon killing thousands of innocent people. Jonathan had seen it on the TV in the waiting room while Katie was under anesthesia. The sight horrified him as he had been too late to stop it. To add to misery, the Tigress was now on the run and in hiding from the authorities. He could only guess when she would eventually be caught and locked away for good. With Daniel dead, it seemed that this whole thing would sort itself out, but with the amount of destruction he had left behind there was still much to solve. “I’m going to give Angela a call soon and tell her everything that has happened." He paused, thinking carefully about what he would say next. His immediate thought was to send Katie back to the USA where she would be much safer. However, given her stubbornness and love for him, it would be impossible to bargain that. While in Japan during their two weeks of hospitalization, Katie had admitted that she had nowhere to go. If she flew back to the USA, she wouldn't even know where to start and that there was no home for her to return to. She told Jonathan that  _ he _ was home to her. 

"It… It was a girl." Katie broke Jonathan's concentration. 

"What?" 

"We were going to have a d-daughter." She clarified, her lower lip quivering again. 

Jonathan’s heart sank again and he placed a hand over his mouth, inhaling deeply and clenching his jaw. He closed his teary blue eyes, trying not to think about it too much but how could he not when that was his baby girl? His daughter he would never meet or raise with Katie. “Sh-She’s with Cam now.” His voice cracked a bit. “Uncle Cameron is taking good care of her.” He tried to comfort Katie the best he could. Tears slid down his sharp cheeks as he gazed down at the woman he loved. Those green eyes so full of sadness shook Jonathan to his core. He would wipe every single tear that she ever shed and made a promise to himself that this was the end of playing around. It was time for them to move past this and be done with being spies for good. 

\------------ 

"SIR-" One of Daniel's goons stopped in his tracks upon seeing his boss on his knees. The storm continued to rage on. 

Daniel began to laugh, his unyielding rage keeping him alive. 

The henchman could only stand aside as he watched his boss completely lose it. He had never seen Daniel like this before… 

"PIIIIIIINE!!!!" 


	26. Mallow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SMUT

A little over two weeks had passed since Katie's rescue and now the lovers were back in London. Just as Pine suspected, Angela didn't take the news too well. 

The director clicked her tongue and eyed her best agent with a weary look. “You realize that this case is far from over, right? We still need the body of Daniel Hasapis as proof of death.” She sighed, shuffling reports. 

“I understand that Angela, but listen- I, we- This cannot continue.” Jonathan ran a hand through his short curls. “We both know what we signed up for, but this investigation is basically over! Daniel is dead and it’ll only be a matter of time before the Tigress is captured. Please, Angela…” He leaned forward, his face in his hands now. “She just lost the baby-” 

“She what?” Angela stopped short, her expression changing into one of sorrow. “You never mentioned that she- I’m so sorry. I cannot imagine what you two are going through right at this moment.” 

“Then let us leave! Give us the time to grieve- more so Kate.” Jonathan let out a sob, unable to hold his frustration any longer. He didn’t want to bring up the fact that they lost their daughter or even use it as some sort of crutch. Neither he or Katie expected this to happen. “She’s been sleeping for days ever since we got back and isn’t herself. I didn’t know that she would react so badly.” He choked, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his jacket. 

Angela got up from behind her desk and slowly approached Jonathan, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Crazy things can happen when carrying a child around for a while. A mother’s love is stronger than any kind.” She took a seat next to him and pursed her lips. This was a tough decision to make as Angela didn’t want to have to give either of them up. However, with Katie’s deteriorating mental state she didn’t want to put her out on the line. She gave a firm nod, “I’m relieving Katie off the case. She doesn’t need to be involved anymore.” The director stood up, pacing back and forth, biting her cuticle. “I still need you to be out there though.” She stopped her pacing. “As I said before, this case is not done-” 

“Let the police handle it from here!!” Jonathan stood up, anger apparent. “I thought you of all people would understand us, Angela. I am not the same person as I was back when I took out Roper! I have fallen in love with a woman who  _ needs  _ me right now. I don’t want to pretend anymore.” He huffed. “I didn’t think that this would ever happen to me because of my line of work, but it did. I’ve never been so deeply in love as I am now. She means everything to me and is far more important than this case… I’m sorry.” He grabbed his jacket, tugging it on and slamming the door on his way out. He didn’t want to deal with Angela denying him to be with Katie any more. Yes, he understood how important that this mission was and still felt uneasy as hell about it, but all he wanted was to see Katie smile again. 

\---------------

“JONATHAN!! JONATHAN HELP ME!! JONATHAN!!” Katie screamed, her eyes shut tightly as she was trapped in an awful nightmare. The events of that day still played in her mind and caused her to lose sleep. There was not a night that went by where she didn’t think of her baby and how she lost her little girl. Katie let out another gut wrenching scream, her fists tightly balled in the sheets. “NO!! NO!! PLEASE NOT MY BABY!! PLEASE!!” 

As soon as the elevator opened to their level, Jonathan heard the pained screams of his girlfriend and ran down the hall. He quickly scrambled with the keys and unlocked the door, slamming it wide open. “Kate!?” Pine ran to their bedroom and grabbed Katie, holding her tightly and sitting on the bed. He felt her arms wrap around him much like they did during her stay in the hospital. 

Katie’s sobs became more quiet as she felt Jonathan’s warmth around her and his familiar scent comforting her. She opened her puffy eyes before shutting them tightly again, burying her face into his chest. “I want my little girl back. I want her back!!” Her fingers dug into the leather of his jacket as she continued to sob. 

“I know, baby… I know. I do too, but there’s nothing we can do to bring her back.” Jonathan rubbed her back soothingly, trying to shush her cries further. 

“It wasn’t her time!! Sh-She was still growing and a-and-” Katie stopped, gasping for air as she struggled to breathe through her sobs. 

Jonathan pulled away from her, grabbing her shoulders firmly. “Kate, hey, baby look at me- look at me. Breathe. Slow deep breaths. Breathe with me.” He instructed, coaching Katie through breaths. “That’s it, just keep breathing darling.” 

The brunette shut her tired eyes, falling forward into Pine’s chest and once again wrapping her arms around him. She inhaled deeply, nuzzling her face into his shirt. “Don’t leave.” She whimpered. 

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m done going out today so I can be with you.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head before removing her arms from him. “But first I’d like to get settled in for the evening without roasting to death.” He chuckled dryly, shucking his jacket off and getting up to close the door of their flat. Jonathan turned around after locking the door and went into their small kitchen, grabbing a take out menu. “You want chinese tonight?” He called out. 

No answer. She hadn’t been eating properly these past two weeks and it was beginning to show. 

Sighing, he set the menu down and walked back into their room, sitting beside her. “Kate, you have to eat. I know it’s hard-” 

“No you don’t!!” Katie suddenly pulled back and looked at him with wide eyes. “You have  _ no  _ idea how hard it is! The fear I lived in while carrying our child only to have her t-taken from me-” She began to sob again. “I never thought I’d be a mom at 25 or even love something so unconditionally..” She gasped, breathless again. 

“You think I didn’t worry about the both of you for those five months?!” Jonathan grit his teeth. “I was scared to  _ death  _ that I’d never see you again!!” Tears began to sting his eyes and he cupped her face, looking her deep in her eyes. “There was not a day that went by that you and the baby were not on my mind. I didn’t sleep properly because I needed you. Kate, fuck. I love you so much-” He leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. 

Taken by surprise, Katie froze up a little before melting into his kiss. Her hands grabbed at his shirt, tugging it and feeling a fire light inside of her loins. A spark of passion she hadn’t felt in a very long time. “I need you-” She gasped, taking his shirt off between kisses before shedding her own clothes off. 

Jonathan growled as he hungered for something other than sustenance. His teeth nipped at her jawline and traveled down the length of her neck. He placed open mouth kisses along her flesh before sucking a mark into her skin. “Mine.” He breathed out, bucking his hips into hers and pressing his hard on into the apex of her thighs. 

His name escaped Katie’s lips as she felt him continue his assault on her neck then moving down to her chest- her breasts. She gasped loudly as her breasts had become sensitive from being pregnant for a short while. Her fingers weaved their way through his golden locks as Katie lost herself in pleasure from Jonathan sucking at her nipples. 

Pine grasped her breasts in his large hands, kneading them while suckling at her hardened buds. “You’re so sensitive.” He muttered, kissing her chest and shoving his pants down. “I need you now.” He spread her legs apart, grabbing his cock and positioning the head in front of her entrance. His eyes snapped shut from the delicious, velvety heat enveloping his member. “Fuck- you feel so good.” He gasped. 

“Move please.” Katie whined, pulling his head up and locking her lips with his. Her legs fell apart wider as she felt Jonathan begin to snap his hips into her. Katie was so amazingly full of Jonathan and moaned into his open mouth. She had almost forgotten how good she felt when making love with Pine. “Jonathan!!” She cried out, nails digging into his back as she felt his cock pound into her at a faster speed. 

“Cry my name out, baby. Just like that-” Pine snapped his hips harder, looking into her eyes as he did so. He was mesmerized by her beautiful green orbs, the ones that haunted him many nights before his declaration of love. His hand snaked down, rubbing her clit gently in slow circles. “F-Fuck.” He gasped as he felt her walls squeeze down on him from his action. 

Katie wrapped herself around Jonathan tightly, whimpering and moaning wildly in his ear while her pussy was being pistoned into. She pressed her body as close to his as much as she could. “Come inside of me. Please. Please!!” 

Jonathan’s hips slowed down for a moment and he looked into her eyes before coming to a full stop. His cock twitched inside of her cunt as he stared down at her, panting. “Katie, are you  _ absolutely _ certain you want me to? I will pull out if you still need time. I think it’s too soon.” Pine actually did pull his cock out, concerned. “You’re not doing this to get pregnant again, are you?” 

The brunette shook her head, getting up and pushing him down on the bed. “No.” She reached back, grabbing his member and slipping it back inside of her awaiting heat. Katie sat there for a moment, savoring how big he felt inside of her pussy. “I’m doing this because I love you. I want to forget everything that happened- I’m tired of being sad.” She gasped as she began to bounce on his cock. “E-Even if it does happen- We’ll be better prepared. I just want to make love to the man who saved me and owns my heart.” She whimpered, grabbing her own breasts and pinching her nipples. “Please, Jonathan. I need you.” 

Taking her words in, Jonathan grabbed her hips tightly and bucked upwards. “You want to forget everything? You’ll at least remember one thing.” He purred, a naughty smirk crossing his lips. “My name.” His voice came out gravelly and he began to thrust into her again. He didn’t care anymore, he didn’t care about the agency anymore, he didn’t care about what Angela had to say, he didn’t even care if he knocked Katie up again. All that mattered was Katie and them moving far away, starting life anew. 

Katie moaned loudly as she tried her best to ride Pine’s cock. His name escaped her lips like a mantra as she was impaled over and over, his member hitting every sweet spot. She was lost in a lustful haze as she moved her hips harder, trying to match his speed. “JONATHAN!! FUCK!! FUCK!! OH FUCK!!” She screamed, her orgasm hitting her hard. Katie’s body seized up and she whimpered out Jonathan’s name as her pussy clenched down on his cock. 

Jonathan grit his teeth and gasped loudly, “I-I’m coming!!” He feels his balls tighten up as he shoots his load into her awaiting cunt. “Shit.” He pants, laying still for a moment as he hadn’t had sex with Katie in a very long time. 

Carefully, the girl removes herself from Jonathan’s cock and whines from feeling empty. She gasps loudly as she is promptly pinned to the bed with a pillow placed underneath her hips. 

Jonathan’s eyes are still dark with lust, “After we eat, and I will make sure you eat, Daddy wants to fuck his little girl properly.” He bends down, nipping at her ear. “Daddy is going to breed his little girl until the sun rises to greet the dawn.” He almost purrs in her ear before removing himself off of her. Pine grabs his boxer briefs, putting them on quickly before walking over to the kitchen and grabbing the take out menu. 

Katie just lay on the bed, stunned. She did mean what she said… She was done being sad. Her eyes closed and she frowned upon the growling of her stomach. “Cam… I hope you watch over my baby. Take good care of my little girl.” A tear slides down her cheek as she thinks of her brother holding a bubbly, giggly baby girl with blonde hair and large blue eyes. It would still be hard for Katie to come to terms with the loss of her child, but having Pine beside her would make the process go more smoothly. After all, she was just as much of his child as she is Katie’s. Slowly, her hand takes place over her flat stomach and caressing the area lovingly and imagining herself pregnant again. She knew that she and Jonathan would have another child sooner than later, this she was certain of. 

“Sweetheart?” Jonathan walked in, freezing in his tracks as he saw Katie just laying there and humming to herself as her fingers caress the skin of her stomach. He swallowed hard and couldn’t help but to blush at the sight, she looked so peaceful like this. Shaking his head, he walks over, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking down at his beloved. “Twenty minutes until food is ready. I decided to order from the pub down the street instead of Chinese.” He pushes her damp bangs out of her eyes. “Didn’t want to venture too far away from you.” He continued to caress her hair. “How are you feeling? A bit better than before?” 

“Much.” She replied softly, nuzzling into his touch. “I don’t think the nightmares will end any time soon, but I think you keep them at bay. At least for a little while. I’m feeling fine though- I did mean it though, I’m not trying to get pregnant so soon again… Though I want to.” She bit her lip, looking away from Jonathan. “I just feel so- so robbed.” She sighed, shifting over to make room for Pine. 

“Robbed as in she was taken from us too soon?” The blonde man spoke softly, caressing her collarbone with his fingers. 

Katie nodded and pulled the pillow out from underneath her in favor of cuddling up to Jonathan’s side. “Robbed of being a mother. Robbed of you being a father.” She began to tear up, but she knew she needed to talk about this with him. “Jonathan, despite everything that’s happened I was so happy to create life with you.” Her voice wavered. 

“Kate-” Jonathan pulled her closer, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. He turned on his side for a better angle and to press her bare body against his own. Pine moaned softly in her mouth at the feeling of her soft breasts pressing against his bare chest. His large hands roamed her frame, tracing her curves. He was touched by her words more than she knew and wanted to show her just how much that meant to him. His cock began to ache for her heat again, becoming half hard with their heavy make out session. 

“Jonathan I want to have a baby with you so bad.” Katie broke their kiss, pressing her forehead on his and shedding a few tears. “I want everything with you, I want to share my life with you-” She was silenced by another passionate kiss, her tears stopping. 

“Shhh..” He nuzzled his nose against hers and held her close, ignoring his hard on. “I feel the same way, sweetheart. I want nothing more than that- but right now what I want is that pub sandwich I ordered.” He chuckled at her pout as he got up and threw some clothes on. “And you will eat the sandwich I got for you too.” Jonathan leaned down, cupping her face and kissing her again. 

Katie wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling her body close to his and tugging at his shirt. She didn’t want him to leave her alone. “Let me come with you.” She panted, getting up off the bed and shimmying on her own clothes. 

“You sure? It is the middle of December and it’s actually really cold out right now.” He raised an eyebrow. 

She nodded and took his hand, looking at him. “I feel safer when I’m with you.” 

\-------- 

Fifteen minutes after dinner was finished, clothes were strewn all over the flat. 

“D-DADDY!!” Katie whimpered loudly, grabbing Jonathan’s hair as he feasted upon her pussy. Her breasts rose with each breath she inhaled and her mind was as muddled as it had been not too long ago. 

Jonathan growled, dragging the flat of his tongue over her wet cunt and flicking her clit with the tip of his tongue. “This is better than what we had for dinner-” He grinned, crawling back up but slipping two fingers into her pussy. “Tell daddy how good his fingers feel inside your cunt.” He began to slip his fingers in and out, curling them for added measure. 

“O-Oh my god!!” The brunette grabbed the bed sheets, looking up into Jonathan’s baby blues as he fucked her pussy with his fingers. “Y-Your fingers feel so much better than mine daddy. They’re so long and H-HIT!!” She squeals from her g-spot being touched and loses her train of thought as she feels Jonathan’s thumb press down on her swollen clit. Her body is writhing in pleasure and she feels an orgasm approaching. “Daddy may I please c-come? Please, daddy.” She whines. 

Jonathan continues to fuck her pussy with his fingers and licks his lips. “You have been such a good girl tonight for me, can you hold it until I tell you?” He picked up the speed of his fingers, watching as Katie tried her best not to come. “That’s it, good girl. Hold it. Keep holding it.” 

Katie’s legs trembled as her body was begging for the coil in her belly to spring free. “Daddy, I-I’m trying.” She gasps, fighting the urge. 

“I know you are and you’re doing so well- keep holding it just like that. Such a good girl.” He leaned down, sucking one of her nipples to test how long she could carry on. 

“P-Please!! Let me cum!! Please daddy!!” She begged, whining at the overstimulation. 

“Do it. Come now.” Jonathan ordered. 

A flood gate of pleasure was unleashed, washing over Katie’s body and causing the small of her back to arch slightly and shoulders to tense up. Clear fluid squirt from her pussy onto Jonathan’s arm as she gasped from how powerful this orgasm came over her. 

Pine’s cheeks turned a bright red as this was a first. Sure, he’s given women many mind blowing orgasms but he’s never made a woman squirt before. He moaned at the sight, his cock pulsing with desperate need. “Fuck that was so hot.” he mounts her, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. 

Both of them moaned in unison as Pine slipped his aching cock into Katie’s pussy. Like before, Katie held onto Jonathan tightly as he began to fuck her hard. “Daddy!! Daddy!!” She gasps, her cunt fluttering around his length. 

“Tell me what you want, babygirl.” He pinned her hands to the side of her head as he snapped his hips into her, his balls smacking against her. 

“I-I want you daddy!! I want you to come inside me!! Put a baby inside me!! Please daddy!! Please make me a mommy!!” She threw her head back, exposing her luscious neck to Pine. 

Taking advantage of marked skin, Jonathan bent down and sucked marks into the hollow of her neck, releasing her hands. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, wrapping his arms around her tightly as his hips picked up speed. His hot breath coated the side of her neck as he panted hard. “You want me to put a baby inside of you?” he growled, blunt of his nails digging into the skin of her back. 

“Yes!! Yes!! Breed me daddy!! Breed my pussy!!” Her nails drag down his sweat laced back. “Please-” Katie gasps as she suddenly feels empty. Large hands force her to be on all fours with her ass up in the air. Her eyes roll as she feels Jonathan’s thick, long cock slip back into her pussy. 

Pine kissed her back and bit her shoulders while he fucked her like an animal. “Who does this pussy belong to?” One of his arms comes up from underneath her and gently grabs her throat. He wouldn’t choke her as that was something triggering, but she did give him the ok to hold her neck like this. 

“Y-You!” She squeaked, grabbing his free hand and pressing it to the flat of her stomach. “It belongs to you daddy!” She whimpers. 

Guiding her hand down, Jonathan places it over her clit and begins to touch it with her. “You are to come on my cock, is this understood?” He pants in her ear. 

She gasps as a second wave begins to build up, “Yes daddy! Please come inside of me!! Please! Daddy- I’m coming!! I’m coming-” Katie shudders hard under his hold as her orgasm hits her hard. 

“Oh fuck-” Jonathan follows not too far behind. His thick seed coats her walls as he lazily thrusts to get the rest out. He bends down, kissing her shoulder blades and up her spine. “Are you alright? Was that too much?” He pants. 

Katie shakes her head no, her body still trembling. “I’m ok. I just never expected all of that.” She gave a breathless chuckle, collapsing on the bed as soon as Jonathan pulled out. 

Pine flashes a smile at her and winks, laying beside her and grabbing her to cuddle. “I wasn’t expecting that either.” His long digits mindlessly caress over her arm. “I liked it though, I want to try that again sometime but I don’t want to put too much on your plate… Even if you’re out of commission now.” He sighed. 

“It just gives me more time to heal from everything that’s happened… I’m actually happy Angela decided to take me off the case. It’ll be over sooner than not and we can… Can.. What are we going to do? Aside from raise a family?” She quirked a brow up. 

“I think… We should open up an Inn over in the countryside of the UK. We could go to Ireland if you want- since your name is extremely Irish.” He teased, earning a playful slap from Katie. 

“That actually sounds nice though. I wouldn’t mind that at all.” She scoots closer to him, yawning and resting her head on his chest. 

Just as Pine reached over to turn out the lamp and go to bed for the night, his cellphone rang. He let out a groan and noticed it was Angela. “I’m sorry about-” 

“We can talk about all that later, you need to take Katie and run. Now. There are Belladonna agents crawling all over the place right now and wreaking havoc! What’s worse is that you didn’t finish the job well enough. Daniel is still alive and on his way to England at this moment.”


	27. Petunia, Achillea, & Ulex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance to start again.

"You said he was-" Katie was sitting up, wide eyed and now panicking. She grabbed her head and began to breathe harder, anxiety creeping fast. 

"I know I did! I didn't know he would live!!" Jonathan struggled to put clothes on while still on the phone with Angela. "How far away is he!?" 

"He's about two hours away. That was the last report I- JESUS CHRIST!!" 

There was an explosion heard just before the line cut out. 

"ANGELA!? ANGELA ARE YOU THERE!?" Jonathan paled, his palms becoming sweaty. When he received no reply, he threw his phone to the floor and smashed it. 

Katie flinched from Pine's action, but understood why he was doing it. "Is she o-ok?" Her voice was shaky. 

"I don't know. I can only hope so." Jonathan looked at his beloved and helped her off the bed. "Come on, we gotta go. We will worry about her later." He grabbed some clothes and threw them in his suitcase. 

It was decided that they would have to share 1 suitcase as time was of the essence. They didn't know  _ how  _ far away Daniel was and were not about to chance it. 

"Cameron!" Katie grabbed the picture frame of her brother and yanked the photo out, shoving it in her inner coat pocket. She wouldn't leave the only thing left of her brother behind as it was the most important item she owned, clothes be damned. 

Jonathan grabbed his knife and gun, reloading it just in case and put it in his holster. "Are you ready?" He adjusted Katie's fluffy scarf to make sure she would be warm enough. 

The brunette took her boyfriend's hand and nodded, tears threatening to spill. 

"It's gonna be ok, sweetheart. I'm never going to let anything happen to you, alright?" He released her hand and rubbed her arms, placing a quick kiss to her forehead. "I love you." 

"I love you too." She whispered, taking his hand again and heading out of their once cozy flat. As soon as they exited their home, the entire building blacked out from an explosion two blocks away. Screams from other residents could be heard from floors below. 

"I guess we are taking the stairs." Pine mumbled to himself and kicked the emergency exit door open. He still had a tight grip on Katie's hand, guiding her through the dark stairwell. Sounds of glass shattering and footsteps added in to the terrified shrieking. He could feel her trembling hard just by her hand alone. "Just keep holding my hand and stick close to me-" 

The door on the 12th floor slammed open and around five men stood watching the pair. A belladonna flower was stitched into their uniforms. 

"Shit!! Kate, run!!" Jonathan threw the suitcase at the men piling in as a means to hinder them. He whipped around and followed after Katie, hearing the men resume their pursuit. Pine made sure to have Katie in front of him in case the goons tried anything. 

Katie suddenly stopped and grabbed onto the rail, hopping onto it and sliding down as a faster way to get out. 

Thinking of her clever idea, Jonathan copied Katie and slid down after her, eventually tumbling to the ground. 

The brunette turned around quickly, grabbing Jonathan and hoisting him up. Katie grabbed his hand and pulled Pine along, running out of the stairwell and to the lobby of their flats building. 

“Take the emergency exit!” Jonathan yanked his girlfriend toward the door and kicked it open. Thankfully, there were a ton of people running and screaming to give them some cover from the Belladonna goons. Upon their exit, harsh winter winds whipped in the lovers faces and a mixture of snow and sleet hit added to their dismay. 

“I WANT EVERY CORNER OF THIS CITY SEARCHED FOR THEM!!” Daniel shouted out to his men. “DO NOT KILL THEM! GRANT ME THAT OPPORTUNITY! ANYONE WHO STANDS IN OUR WAY WILL BE KILLED UPON SIGHT!!” 

Jonathan shoved Katie into an alleyway and behind a dumpster. He used his body to press her up against the icy metal to conceal her as best as he could. “Kate I need you to listen very carefully.” Pine looked into her eyes, keeping his voice as quiet as possible. 

Katie nodded, “Tell me what we need to do.” 

Pine scanned the alleyway and looked across the street to the path of where the parking garage was. His car was parked in there as he didn’t have much use for it as he walked most of the time. However, now was the perfect opportunity to make their escape in it. “Once those bastards are done with their investigation across the street, we are going to make a run for it. We have to get to the parking garage as fast as we can if we want to get out alive. I have my gun and knife on me in case things get hairy. We will go into the countryside and contact Angela later. I only hope that she’s still alive.” He sighed, shaking his head before looking at Katie again. “I need you to not turn around while you are running. If you hear me shout or get hurt, do  _ not  _ stop running and find a place to lay low. I will be ok.” Jonathan let out a shaky breath before cupping Katie’s face and kissing her sweet lips deeply. 

The brunette wrapped her arms around Jonathan and kissed him back with just as much vigor, her heart pounding. She was terrified that something would go wrong and that Daniel would find them and kill them. “I love you.” she whispered against his lips after finally breaking away. “Please don’t die.” 

“I won’t and I love you too.” Jonathan placed one last kiss to her lips before turning around slowly to check if the coast was clear. He removed himself from hiding Katie and nodded, “On my count.” He held up three fingers, still watching the street. 

Green eyes watched with anticipation as Pine counted down from 3 to 2 and finally to 1. At the sight of his closed fist, she got up and pulled her hood over her head. Katie took a deep, chilly breath and bolted out into the storm with her blood pounding in her ears. All she could focus on was getting to the next alleyway without being noticed by Belladonna. She heard footsteps behind her and they were fast approaching. Her eyes darted to a sharp turn and she took that way in favor of leading whoever was on her trail off. She knew it wasn’t Pine as these breaths sounded more heavy and with some raggedness to them. 

“Got you-” A Belladonna henchman grabbed Katie by the arm, shoving her against the brick wall and holding her by her throat. He entrapped the girl with his body and only grinned as she continued to squirm. “Shame Daniel has to kill such a pretty little thing. Maybe I’ll have my way with you before I take you to him-” 

“NO!!” Katie choked out, mustering up as much force as she could and slamming her head against his despite his chokehold. Once out of his grip, Katie then extended her leg out and kicked him in the chest. She somersaulted forward, attempting to bring her leg down on him but being tossed into the wall again. Her wrist met his own and her leg came up between the henchman’s legs in a faux attack to his groin. Katie wrapped the same leg tightly around one of his and slammed him to the hard concrete. “No one will  _ ever  _ touch me like that again!” She growled, then bringing her foot down on his groin and taking off into a sprint. There was no time to finish the job and take him out properly as Katie heard gunfire and shouting. 

Jonathan fired his last few shots into a Belladonna agent, panting hard before looking up and seeing Katie. Seeing the coast was clear, he ran toward her while ignoring the pain in his arm from being cut. His large hand took her small one and he pulled her along and through the alleyways until they finally reached the parking garage. “Fuck.” He hissed, releasing Katie’s hand and holding his arm. “That bastard got me pretty good.” Pine smiled wryly but carried on, thankfully reaching his car on time. 

As soon as they got in, Pine turned the heat on and shed his coat and shirt off. His white t-shirt underneath was spattered with blood. Katie saw his wound and noticed it wasn’t too deep, but it was enough to become a problem. She snatched his shirt from him and tore it up into strips before wrapping it around Jonathan’s muscular arm as he drove. 

“Thank you.” He winced, swallowing hard and stepping on the gas. “We can stop once we are out of the city. I just hope that there’s a clinic nearby to stitch this up. It’s irritating.” He frowned at his wound before turning his eyes back on the road. 

“Are you gonna be ok to drive for that long? I can take over if you need me to.” Katie placed her hand on his forearm gently. 

Jonathan took her hand and placed a kiss to the back of it before glancing at her quickly. “I’ll be ok. It’s just gonna be annoying for a while until we can properly take care of it. I will let you know if it’s too much. All I’m focused on right now is getting us out of here.” He turned his gaze back on the road, taking a few detours to avoid traffic or otherwise. 

After about an hour of maneuvering around, the pair were on the highway and setting out for the countryside. Katie kept her eyes peeled for a family clinic of sorts along the road as she was concerned for Jonathan’s wound. She would check in with him every so often to make sure he was doing ok and that if he needed a break, he’d let her take the reins. Eventually, Pine did end up having to tap out due to his arm being sore. To their luck, they happened upon a smaller town three hours from London with a clinic and general store. While Jonathan was getting his wound cleaned and patched up, Katie bought some essential items for their journey as she didn’t know how long they would be going for. She also asked around about different places to visit to make her seem inconspicuous. 

“Hey sweetheart.” Jonathan entered the store, wrapping his arm gently around Katie and smiling up at the cashier she was talking to. “Ready to go?” 

The female cashier twirled her hair as she looked at Jonathan, batting her eyes and grinning at Katie. “That’s your husband? Lucky one you are.” She winked. “Have a nice trip wherever you two are going~” She waved and began to take care of the next customer in line. 

“How’d it go?” Katie stopped him before walking out, taking his coat off to examine the doctor’s handy work. 

“It hurts less now that you’re here.” Jonathan grinned, leaning towards her and placing a kiss into her hair. “He said for me to take it easy for the rest of the day so I guess you’re driving.” He shucked his coat back on and took Katie’s hand as they walked out. “I’d suggest that we stop by at a motel for the night, but I don’t want to risk it. You ok with sleeping in the car?” He raised an eyebrow. 

Katie nodded and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “I bought some blankets for a reason to keep us warm.” She opened the trunk of the car, putting the groceries in it. “I grabbed as many essentials as we needed; water, bread, protein bars, granola, peanut butter, crackers, ibuprofen, first aid kit, things to keep us tied over until we find a place to stay.” She grabbed the heavy blankets from the bag and placed them in the back seat of the car. Along with that, she also purchased a few pillows just in case they grew uncomfortable. “Ok, let’s-” She was stopped as Jonathan took her hips, pressing a firm kiss to her lips as he had her pinned against the car. Katie made a small noise as they kissed, her hands sliding up his chest. “Did they give you something else to help with the pain?” She chuckled as she felt Pine pinch her ass. 

“Maybe.” He grinned, placing one last kiss to her lips before getting back in the car and buckling up. 

Katie rolled her eyes and settled herself in, stepping on the gas and taking off into the setting sun. Occasionally, the brunette glanced over at Jonathan who was currently knocked out cold. The doctor definitely gave him something more than just pain killers it seemed. She smiled at his soft snores and his face smashed against the window, wishing she had her phone to take a video or picture. Katie had to leave it behind at the flat as the possibility of being tracked was too great. Her smile faded as she wondered about Angela, she hoped that the director was alright and that she had gotten out safely. She then remembered about Angela’s family and her toddler- causing her to screech to a halt. 

Jonathan just about comically flew forward as Katie hit the breaks. “What-!? Hey, what’s wrong?” He rubbed his eyes, groaning at his now sore neck. “Are you alright?” He noticed that Katie was gripping the wheel rather tightly. “Pull over, tell me what’s wrong.” Pine’s expression fell as he saw tears rolling down her cheeks as she did just so. 

“A-Angela. Her baby-” Katie covered her mouth and let out a sob. Memories of that day, the day her baby died flashed through her mind. Her breath began to pick up and all she could think of was the guilt she still held, and the additional worry for Angela. “My baby.” She whimpered, throat tightening. 

Sensing that this was likely the place they were going to camp out for the night, Jonathan unbuckled and got out. He was still a little groggy from the medicine, but it did help a lot. Pine walks over to the drivers side and opens the door, kneeling down and taking one of Katie’s hands. “Hey, it’s gonna be ok. Sweetheart can you look at me?” His brows knit together from worry. 

Tearful green eyes turned their gaze on Jonathan and Katie slowly unbuckled her seatbelt. “Jonathan I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I-I killed her-” She felt Jonathan’s arms wrap around her tightly. 

“Shhh… You didn't do anything. I'm not mad or upset with you. Come on, I think we should turn in for the night." He released the trembling girl and helped her out of the car. "Wait right here." Pine gave a quick kiss to her head before shutting the passenger door and drivers side. He pulled the car more off the road and into some brush for privacy. Once he was satisfied with how he parked, he got out and rushed over to a still trembling Katie. "You're alright. I've got you, I'm here." He takes her hand gently, kissing the back of it like earlier. "Let's get some sleep. You're overtired and today has been a long day for us both." Pine led Katie over to the car and crawled in the back seat first. Jonathan pat his chest and motioned Katie forward to lay on him. 

"You… You won't be uncomfortable?" She sniffled, crawling in and shutting the door. 

Jonathan shook his head and pat the pillows behind his head. "You got these for a reason, remember?" He chuckled and flashed a small smile at her. 

Katie nodded and gave a small smile of her own, leaning forward and kissing Jonathan’s lips. She lingers there for a moment longer, their lips moving slowly against each other. The brunette pulled away, her eyes lidded and faint blush on her cheeks. She noticed that Jonathan’s eyes were a little darker than before they kissed. 

“I know I said we need sleep but… There’s one other way that I can think of that will warm us up and tire us out…” Jonathan spoke quietly, his hands stroking her thigh. “Only if you’re up to it though.” He whispered against her neck, placing soft kisses along her cold skin.

Katie gasped a little from a particular suck to her neck from Pine and her fingers dug into his shoulders. She pulled him away from her neck, staring at him as she began to shed her clothes. Before she knew it, she was pulled into a frenzy of a kiss from Jonathan. Their breathing became hard from their passionate make out and haste of removing clothes, their natural instincts taking over. 

Pine growled slightly from the cool air but noticed Katie’s nipples were hard from the chill and leaned down to suck them. His large hands slid up her body, taking her breasts in them as he suckled at her hardened buds. 

A shudder ran through Katie's body from Jonathan's attention to her breasts. Her fingers ran through his blonde curls and soft moans escaped her lips. 

"Such a beautiful voice." Pine settled his hips between Katie's, grinding his still covered erection on her bare pussy. "I don't think I'll ever get enough of it." He grunts as a wave of pleasure travels through his body. 

"Jonathan, please-" Katie whines, watching Pine resume his attention back on her breasts. "I need you." She whispers, wiggling her hips to emphasize this exact need. "Please." 

Jonathan released one of her nipples with a soft pop from his lips before pulling his pants and boxer briefs down. His cock sprang out from the confines and dribbled precum onto Katie's vulva. Jonathan reached down, looking to adjust himself before slipping inside of the girl. He hisses from her welcoming heat, hands slamming above Katie on the backdoor interior. 

"F-Fuck!" The brunette gasps from the sudden fullness. One of her hands hit the glass window as Jonathan began to move his hips. Her hand dragged down the window and made a mark in the fogged up glass. 

Pine growled slightly from his lack of room but made it work as he held Katie tightly against him. "Fuck, I love you so God Damn much." He pants against her lips, unable to stay away from kissing her. Moans were mixed into the soft sounds of bodily fluids and harsh panting from their love making. 

Katie's arms wrapped tightly around Jonathan as he rut into her at a controlled pace. She opened her mouth and found Pine's tongue mingling with hers. Her nails dragged down his back from the agonizing pace he was going at. She knew he didn't have much room to work with considering his long legs, so she would just have to put up with it. 

The feeling of her nails scratching down his back caused Jonathan to growl loudly. He shifted his position a bit, bending his knees so it allowed him to fuck Katie harder. "Do you want me to come inside of you?" He moans, pressing his forehead against hers and staring into her eyes. His hand travels down, rubbing her clit. 

"Y-Yes!! Please!! Please come inside me!!" Katie's hips buck up from the jolt of pleasure. Her lips were inches from Jonathan's, but she found herself staring into his baby blues. "I love you." She whimpers. 

"I love you too." Jonathan feels his orgasm approaching and begins to speed his hips, enjoying the feeling of her velvety walls squeezing his cock. "I'm coming-" he presses his lips on hers, body tensing up as he releases his seed into her pussy. 

Katie's nails dig into his back as she too comes shortly after. Her whimpers are swallowed up by Jonathan's kiss. They continue to kiss softly until their highs come down and Pine pulls his soft member out. They are both coated in a light layer of sweat that shines in the moonlight. 

Jonathan places one last kiss on Katie's forehead before tucking himself away and laying back against the pillows. His eyes dropped from exhaustion and within a few minutes of adjusting his position, pulling Katie to his chest, and pulling the blanket over them; sleep took both of them. 

\--------------------------

Quiet. 

That’s how it had been ever since Katie and Jonathan arrived in a rural town a day away from London. No word from Angela had been received for the first few days they were there and settling in. Thankfully, she had come in contact with them around a week later and informed them that it was best if they stayed in the countryside for a while. The police were now involved with finding Daniel and bringing him down and this made Jonathan relax a little. He could focus on healing with Katie and starting something new. Pine had bought a small cottage on the skirts of town that was big enough for the two of them. 

Katie stood in the doorway of an empty room, looking at it wistfully. Jonathan had left it untouched as he didn’t know what else to do with it. The cottage had an office room for him to work from. The brunette suddenly frowned, placing a hand on her forehead and leaning against the beam. “J-Jonathan?” She called out, feeling light headed. 

“Is everything alright?” Jonathan called out from his office, getting out of his chair and walking over to where Katie was. His eyes became wide as he saw the girl begin to collapse to the ground and ran over to her, catching her just in time. 

“I feel… Strange. I think I need to lay down.” Katie mumbles, grabbing onto Jonathan for support but felt herself being lifted up. 

Pine looked at her and nodded, kissing her forehead and taking her to their bedroom. “Do you need anything right now? Do you want me to stay with you?” He raised his eyebrows. 

“No. I think I’m just overtired. I stayed up late these past few nights. Couldn’t sleep.” She shut her heavy eyes and nuzzled into the pillow. 

“Get some rest then, sweetheart.” Jonathan smoothed her hair back away from her face before placing a kiss to her cheek and going back to the office room. 

Once he had left, Katie opened her eyes and pressed her hand to her stomach. “I can’t be. Am I?” She whispered softly to herself and carefully stood up. Her hand reached for the bedside drawer and she pulled out a test stick before creeping over to the bathroom. “My period should have come by now…” she muttered, unwrapping the stick and pulling her pants and underwear down. “Maybe it’s just stress.” 

For ten agonizing minutes, Katie sat on the floor of the bathroom. She did want to try again for a baby, but it still felt too soon. Plus, with Daniel still out and about it wasn’t the best idea to be getting pregnant. 

“It’s just stress, that’s all it is. I’m just tired.” She hoists herself up and nervously grabs the stick. 

A loud thump and scream has Jonathan running out of his office and to their bedroom. “Kate!?” He saw her crumpled on the bathroom floor, sobbing. “Are you-” Before he can ask if she’s hurt, he sees the test stick. Jonathan sighs deeply through his nose and runs a hand through his hair, “A-Are you?” He helps her sit up, looking deep into her eyes. 

Tears slide down Katie’s cheeks as she nods, “I’m pregnant.” 


	28. Black Rose & Hyacinth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every dream has to come to an end- But the nightmare is only starting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update and shorter chapter guys! I originally planned to end it at 30 chapters but then my brain went "Make Pine a crime lord" and I was like SEQUEL TIME! So here ye be the last part of Flowers in Blood and stay tuned for Bloom in Wake

Jonathan nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not mad-" he holds his hand out. "I'm going out for a cigarette…" he mutters before helping Katie up and walking to fetch his coat. Once outside, he slams his fist against the stone wall of the cottage. Pine doesn't exactly know how he is supposed to feel at that exact moment. It still seemed way too soon for them to even try again. He never did get to be there for Katie with their first child. Jonathan pulls out a cigarette and lights it, taking a long drag. 

Naturally, Katie's first thought was that he was mad regardless of his previous statement. She stood in their room, her hand over her mouth. The brunette did indeed want to try again with Jonathan in the future, but she wasn't expecting to do so right away. "I should have bought condoms." She mumbled, smacking her forehead with her palm. It was her mindlessness and damn kink that got her here. Taking a deep breath, Katie knew what her only choice was. With Daniel still out on the loose, she didn't want to risk putting her child's life in danger and losing them  _ again.  _ She felt sick to her stomach at the mere thought of something terrible happening. Katie wanted this baby, she truly did but she had already made up her mind and walked out to meet Jonathan. "Hey." She mutters quietly. 

Pine turns around, acknowledging her before turning back to look out at the field behind their little cottage. 

"We… We should find the nearest clinic. I want to keep it b-but-" Katie covers her mouth, trying to hold back her tears. "I'm sorry if I made you angry." 

Jonathan's eyebrows raised at her words and he puts his cigarette out, stomping on it. He turns around and pulls Katie into an embrace, holding her tightly against him. "I'm not angry. I'm scared." Pine sighs and places a kiss into her hair. "Whatever you decide you want to do, I will follow." 

Katie nodded, closing her eyes and taking in Jonathan's scent. "I can't keep it. Not with Daniel still around. It will hurt me to terminate the pregnancy but it would hurt me more to have something happen again." 

That night, Jonathan and Katie went to a clinic and had her pregnancy terminated. While it was melancholic, the two both felt confident with Katie's decision. Just to have extra precaution, the pair bought a package of condoms in case things became heated between them. "I'm not going to like wearing a rubber, but I would rather keep you safe than put two lives in danger." Jonathan looked over at Katie who stared out of the car window. "Kate? Baby-" he places one of his large hands on her thigh, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Once this all blows over, I will be more than happy to try again." 

Coming out of her own little world, Katie looks over at Jonathan and smiles sadly. "I just- I feel like a horrible person right now." She admitted. "I have lost two children now- it doesn’t feel real at all. Am I a horrible person?” Tears escape her eyes. 

Pine’s lips parted slightly at her words, “No.” He turned his attention back to the road, pulling into their driveway. “Kate, what happened back in Russia will never be your fault. I will say that over and over until I am blue in the face. You are no monster and what we did tonight- it’s for the best. I love you no matter what and I sincerely mean that.” He gets out of the car, walking over to the passenger side and helping Katie out. 

“W-Wait.” Her vision becomes blurry as she stands up and strange beeping noises ring through her head. What in the world was going on? “I feel like I’m going to pass out again.” She mutters, gripping Jonathan’s hand tightly and falling into him. Just for a split second, Pine’s hand felt gloved and much smaller than his own. 

“Kate?” Pine scoops Katie up, fearing that the people at the clinic must have done something wrong. They couldn’t have, they were trained professionals… “Let’s get you to bed. It’s been a long day.” He says softly, carrying her over to their bedroom and setting her down on their large, plush bed. 

Green eyes suddenly widen as the bed doesn’t feel at all like it should. “Jonathan!?” Katie calls out, but notices him turning away and oddly phasing in and out of the room. The high pitched ringing came back full force in her head. “What the fuck!?” She falls out of the bed and gasps loudly as she sees another figure in the doorway, stabbing Jonathan. “No! NOOO!!” She screams, mustering all of her strength she possibly could and leaping at the figure. “DANIEL!!” She tackles the strange person, her hands wrapped around their throat tightly. 

“Kate! No!” The voice is familiar, yet strangled. 

She didn’t listen, refusing to believe that Daniel just imitated her own dead brother. “First you kill the love of my life and now imitate my brother!? I’ll-” She stops, flying off of the figure and staring up at him, her eyes full of tears. “C...Cam?” 

Similar green eyes stared back down and a sad smile flashed on his face. “Kate you need to wake up. Jonathan’s not here right now and I had to get you out of your little trance. Look.” He nods his head towards the place where Jonathan’s body  _ would  _ have been. 

True to his word, Katie looked over and indeed saw nothing there. Turning back to Cameron, her eyebrows knit together “Am… Am I d-dead?” She pats the places where she had been previously injured. 

“No. You’ve been in a coma for a long time from that incident in Tokyo and your conscious state shifted to a world where your mission would have continued in the way you wanted to see it. I’ve gotta say little fox, it’s pretty fucked up all the shit you decided to put yourself through.” He takes a seat in front of her and nods. 

“Exactly how long have I been in-” Katie looks around as her surroundings begin to change ever so slightly. The floor she was sitting on became a hospital bed and her surroundings swirled into various machines helping her stay alive. She looked at Cameron with fear and reached out to him, hugging him tightly. “I don’t want to leave now! I have you here with me!” 

The older brother wrapped his strong arms around his little sister, hugging her just as tightly. “You have to wake up now, Kate. You have a mission to finish and kick Jonathan’s ass, you will see what I mean when you wake up. I love you and I am always watching over you, little fox. Never forget that.” Cameron pulled back, pressing a firm kiss into Katie’s hair before vanishing in front of her eyes. 

“CAMERON!!” Katie reached out again, falling into the darkness as she was being sucked back into reality. Her body lurched forward upon coming back from the realm of unconsciousness. She gasped loudly and stared at her shaking hands that were slowly coming back into her vision. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her tightly- 

“Oh Katie!! Oh thank God you’re awake!” Angela cried, holding her close before pulling back and looking over her, pressing a hand to her cheek. “I never thought you’d wake up ever again. It’s been around two years-” 

Two years… That’s how long she had been out? Katie turned her head over to a small pile of presents and dead flowers next to her bedside. “Jonathan. Where’s Jonathan?” Her voice croaked, vocal chords feeling rather dusty after two years of not speaking. 

Angela’s expression fell and she sighed deeply, pulling up a chair and sitting beside her. “I feared you might ask about Pine. We’ve got much to discuss.” 

After the brutal attack in Tokyo, Katie had fallen into a deep coma and was unresponsive for around two weeks that turned into three, then four, then a month… She was transported back to England through the odd kindness of Richard Roper. What of Pine? Angela tried to reason with him and told him not to follow through on his anger. Apparently, Katie’s thoughts were correct as Jonathan  _ did  _ feel something for her and would shed blood to prove it. He left Angela’s agency after the first year of Katie’s coma and explained he couldn’t sit around while her attackers still walked. He wanted to blame Angela for this ever happening, but he knew better than that. Pine knew that she was not the one to blame for what happened to his beloved Katie. Jonathan let his anger get to him and he crawled back to Roper but willingly this time. His name spread like wildfire amongst the crime syndicate and he became a feared, but respected crime lord. He had been corrupted all for  _ her.  _ Meanwhile, Daniel and his heinous branches still lived and continued to reign chaos throughout the world. Abbadon Hasapis and her little boy Nikolai had been savagely murdered by Daniel after she successfully located her son. They didn’t even make it a day together before their lives ended abruptly. The riots had spread across the globe and a state of emergency was declared in the United States. There was no more structure of justice and crime had overrun even the most guarded of places. Murder, sex trafficking, gang activity, illegal arms trade, drug cartels and mafia rose to power and claimed millions of lives. No one truly knew how dangerous Daniel Hasapis was until it was too late. He had gotten what he wanted just as it played out in Katie’s own conscious world while she was asleep. 

“This is all my fault.” Katie fisted the sheets, tears dripping down her cheeks. “If I hadn’t been so st-tupid!! If I just would have listened and gone back to America like Jonathan said in the first place-” She grit her teeth, trying to hold in her angry sobs. 

Cautiously, Angela placed a hand on the young woman’s shoulder and gave it a knowing squeeze. “This is not your fault, dear. No one could have seen this coming but now we have a lot more on our plate to deal with than before. Now that we lost Jonathan… We need  _ you  _ Katie. I know you just woke up and this is all too much, but we need to get you back out on the front lines if we are to fix this mess and get Pine back.” 

Katie’s heart fluttered at the mention of bringing Jonathan back and finally allowed herself to cry her heart out. All the violence and destruction Daniel had brought about was just as agonizing as Jonathan allowing Roper to twist his mind, and turn him into a savage crime lord. Part of her knew that he was doing this for her and to honor her in case she never woke up. Well, now that she was awake it was her duty to bring the man she fell in love with back, and stop all of this mess. 

“Are you ready, Katie? This is going to be the hardest mission yet.” Angela stood up, her hand still placed on her shoulder. 

With tear filled, determined eyes Katie glanced up at Angela and nodded. “I-I’m a part of this mess and I need to clean it up. Get me out of here and tell me where Jonathan is first, I cannot do this all on my own.” 

STAY TUNED FOR THE SEQUEL: BLOOM IN WAKE 


End file.
